Labor & Employment Law

1,100 NYC Sewage Workers Get First Raise in 15 Years?and More Bargaining News

By Belinda Boyce

Some 1,100 New York City sewage workers get their first raise in 15 years, and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,200 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.

SETTLEMENTS
Multiple, New York City: 1,100 New York City sewage workers receive their first wage increases in 15 years, after two unions ratified new contracts. Some 200 plant managers, represented by Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 3, had been without a contract since 1995 and will receive an increase of 83 percent. About 800 members of AFSCME Local 1320 had been without a contract since 2002 and will receive increases of between 43 percent and 63 percent.

USW, U.S. Steel Canada: Eight months after being locked out by U.S. Steel Canada, members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 8782 ratified a new contract. The company laid off 800 workers in March 2009 before locking out the remaining 200 workers. The contract calls for a signing bonus in lieu of wage increases and maintains a defined-benefit pension plan for current workers.

UFCW, JBS USA: Workers at a JBS USA beef packing plant in Greeley, Colo., ratified a new contract that runs through September 2013. The 3,000 members of UFCW Local 7 will receive wage increases retroactive to November, when their last contract expired. 

PASNAP-NNU, Temple University Hospital: Talks between the Pennsylvania Association of Nurses and Allied Professionals-NNU (PASNAP-NNU) and Temple University Hospital broke down Friday after only six hours. PASNAP-NNU called the hospital “recklessly stubborn,” as it refused to consider any compromise that might bring an end to the strike by 1,500 nurses and health care workers.

ILWU, U.S. Borax: The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 30, representing nearly 600 locked-out miners, met Wednesday with management of U.S. Borax for federally mediated talks. U.S. Borax, owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, locked the workers out on Jan. 31, after they rejected a contract offer.

UNITEHERE!, Pinnacle Entertainment: Pinnacle Entertainment reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that requires it to negotiate with workers, rehire fired workers and compensate workers for changes in working conditions. UNITEHERE! Local 74 filed charges with the NLRB last year after two Pinnacle-owned casinos in St. Louis refused to bargain and unilaterally imposed changes in working conditions. The union’s attorney described the settlement as “extraordinary in its breadth and detail and represents a significant remedy for longstanding complaints raised by Pinnacle employees.”

AFT, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Teachers Union/AFT is demanding the Washington, D.C., school district rehire 266 teachers fired last October after last week’s revelation that the school system, in fact, has a budget surplus. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee blamed last year’s layoffs on a budget shortfall. WTU has asked a judge to reopen the lawsuit it filed last fall to challenge the layoffs.

UFCW, Shaw’s Supermarkets: Hundreds of labor and community leaders and union members rallied in support of 300 striking Shaw’s Supermarkets workers in Methuen, Mass., on Thursday. The members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 791 have been on strike since March 7, and when the company cut their health benefits on April 1, it drew the ire of people across the state, including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

NEGOTIATIONS
CWA, AT&T Mobility: Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 3 has reached a tentative agreement with AT&T Mobility, covering 11,200 workers in the Southeast. No details will be released until members have a chance to vote on the pact.

WGAE, ABC: Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) reached a tentative three-year agreement with ABC. If ratified, the pact will provide 250 TV and radio news workers in New York and Washington, D.C., with annual wage increases and enhanced severance packages.

Multiple, American Airlines: The National Mediation Board (NMB) has instructed both the Transport Workers (TWU) and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) to continue talks with American Airlines. Last month, the two unions had made separate requests to be released from mediation, and the NMB says the requests may yet be granted if further talks prove fruitless.

UAW, Daimler Trucks North America: UAW reached tentative agreements with Daimler Trucks North America covering 5,700 workers at three Freightliner plants in Mount Holly, Gastonia and Cleveland, N.C. Ratification votes by the members of UAW locals 5285, 5286 and 3250 were scheduled for this past weekend.

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for your information only.  As it is compiled from published news reports, not from individual unions, we cannot vouch for either its completeness or accuracy; readers who desire further information should directly contact the union involved.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on April 19, 2010 (boomark / email).