Bargaining Digest Weekly

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/02/03/bargaining-digest-weekly-44/

Bargaining Digest Weekly
by Gordon Pavy, Feb 3, 2007

The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 800 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.

Settlement Round-Up: A union that doesn’t often make the news, but whose work office dwellers rely on every day, has reached a new five-year contract. The Elevator Constructors and three national manufacturers have a new contract covering 13,000 elevator mechanics nationwide.

A long-standing dispute in arbitration was resolved when 3,600 AFSCME members in the Milwaukee area ratified a four-year contract with the county. The contract saves the jobs of some 100 workers.

Manufacturing: The hedge fund Cerberus may drop its $3.4 billion Delphi bid as talks between the fund and the UAW remain stalled over wage cuts, how many plants to keep open and how many jobs can be saved. Cerberus had put a Jan. 31 deadline on reaching an agreement. Welcome to bankruptcy court, Cerberus.

The AK Steel lockout in Middletown, Ohio, is approaching the one-year mark. Newly elected Gov. Ted Strickland (Ohio) has contacted both sides and is willing to meet to try to resolve the dispute. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown met in Washington with the Butler County sheriff to discuss the lockout.

The United Steelworkers (USW) and Asarco have a new contract ready for a ratification vote. The contract includes the initiation of a supplemental unemployment benefits plan. Besides the 1,600 steelworkers, the agreement will be voted on by members of the Electrical Workers, Machinists, Boilermakers, Operating Engineers, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters and the unaffiliated Teamsters and Millwrights.

Negotiations did not resume Tuesday as was planned between the USW and MeadWestvaco at the company’s paper mill in Covington, Va.
Negotiations also are under way in Louisiana and Mississippi for contracts covering thousands of workers in 13 locals at the Northrup-Grumman shipyards in New Orleans and Pascagoula, Miss.

In Ohio, Techtronic gets approval to buy Hoover’s North Canton facilities; some 1,000 jobs are in limbo.

Automaking: Ford CEO Alan Mulally was in Missouri trying to rally the troops around new model introduction at Claycomo. He’s counting on new models to produce an upturn by the end of the year from the record low results for 2006. Ford is trying to cut corners. It announced the closing of seven day-care centers jointly operated with the UAW. But Ford executives need not despair. Ford is defending its consideration of pay-for-performance bonuses to retain executive talent. Ford and the UAW are in talks to establish one bonus plan for all employees. Currently, UAW members participate in a profit sharing plan. Talks are centering around white collar bonuses—discussing payout bonuses as hourly employees are being asked to make sacrifices. According to UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, Ford’s largest-ever annual loss was no surprise to union leaders.

The Big Three automakers have signed a statement of support with the Department of Health and Human Services for a national initiative for improving the quality of health care. They will provide quality and price information to all enrollees for the doctors and hospitals in their plans and support interoperability standards for health care information technology.

More than 2,800 Harley-Davidson workers in York, Pa., have rejected a contract offer and are striking. Concessions sought on health care and pensions are the key issues.

FULL story at link.