Union asks Peterbilt to resume talks, 330 locked out

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/BUSINESS01/806270381/1003/NEWS01

About 330 United Auto Workers union members remain locked out of the Peterbilt truck plant in Madison, and no new negotiations have been scheduled between the union and the company, officials for both said Thursday afternoon.

The workers were shut out after failing to reach an agreement with the company on a new contract. The previous contract expired last Friday, and the UAW members were not allowed into the plant when they arrived for work Monday morning.

"We have an offer on the table that we would like to see the union ratify so they can get back to work," plant manager Larry Vessels said. "We've got an offer that maintains our premium-employer status and keeps our jobs among the best-paying in the area. Unfortunately, they had a meeting Sunday and chose not to vote on it."

The union, meanwhile, has mailed a letter to Peterbilt's chief negotiator "saying that we are ready to resume negotiations at any time," said Mike Pardue, president of UAW Local 1832, which represents the plant's hourly workers.

"There are a lot of open issues that we still need to discuss," he said.
Pay, health costs at issue

Sticking points are wages and benefits, job security and, in particular, company proposals to require hourly workers to pay higher health-insurance premiums, both sides said. The company offered no wage increase until 2010, but said it would give each worker a $1,200 bonus upon ratification of a new contract.

Peterbilt wants the UAW members to pay about 25 percent of their health-insurance premiums, the same amount that the plant's salaried workers contribute, Vessels said.

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