Bargaining Update

On December 3, the union negotiating committee met with the company in the fourth round of talks for a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that expires on March 31st.  We entered talks early primarily because of a dispute over subcontracted work in the Southwest.  The hope is that if we can get agreement on a whole new contract, it will solve the immediate problem. 

The company presented updated responses to union proposals yesterday that addressed all the major issues, including the issue of subcontracting, the lack of pay for certain work time, and health and welfare funding.  Each one of these issues is very complicated, and we need to take all the time necessary to make sure we’re taking everything into account.

The board will spend the Tuesday analyzing the company’s latest proposals and discussing the major issues with company representatives.  This site will be updated when there are developments in bargaining.