Labor & Employment Law

Pratt & Whitney Ships 1,000 Jobs Overseas Despite State Incentives?and More Bargaining News

By Belinda Boyce

Pratt & Whitney ships jobs overseas despite incentives, 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.

WORK STOPPAGES AND OTHER ACTIONS
IAM, Pratt & Whitney: The Machinists (IAM) are applauding Connecticut’s full congressional delegation for sending a letter to President Obama urging him to help prevent Pratt & Whitney from moving 1,000 jobs out of the state and out of the country. IAM and the state of Connecticut worked together to offer huge incentives if the company remained in the state, but the aircraft engine manufacturer refused.

BCTGM, Wendy’s: The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 57 filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Wendy’s New Bakery, which produces buns for Wendy’s restaurants. BCTGM argues that the company illegally imposed a new contract on 150 bakery workers in Ohio.

ATU, Metropolitan Transportation Authority: A New York Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of New York City transit workers when he upheld an arbitration panel’s award that included an 11.5 percent wage increase for the workers over three years. The incoming president of Transport Workers (TWU) Local 100, John Samuelsen, called the decision a “big win.”

SETTLEMENTS
IBEW, FirstEnergy: Workers at a FirstEnergy Generation Corp. plant in Shippingport, Pa., on Dec. 11 voted to ratify a new 39-month contract. The contract covers 374 members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 272 whose previous contract had expired in February 2008.

IAM, United Technology Corp.: Workers at United Technology Corp.’s fuel cell plant in South Windsor, Conn., voted to ratify a new three-year agreement. The deal covers 150 IAM members and includes a signing bonus, annual raises and increased pension benefits that will offset the increase in worker contributions to health care.

CWA and IBEW, Frontier Communications: Workers at Frontier Communications in Pennsylvania and West Virginia ratified new contracts. Communications Workers of America members in Pennsylvania last month ratified a three-year contract covering 300 workers, while Electrical Workers (IBEW) in West Virginia ratified a one-year contract extension covering 60 members.

IAFF, Lansing: Firefighters in Lansing, Mich., ratified a new agreement that will help the city save nearly $500,000 in the next six months. The contract covers 209 members of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 421.

UFCW, Multiple Supermarkets: Grocery workers in Arizona voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract with Fry’s, Safeway and Smith’s supermarkets. The contract covers 25,000 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99 and includes wage increases as well as adequate funding of the pension fund.

NEGOTIATIONS
ATU, Veolia Transportation: Members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1395 have put plans to strike on hold while negotiations continue with management at Florida’s Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT). Members authorized a strike last month after Veolia Transportation, the private company that manages ECAT, refused to honor the 4.5 percent wage increase guaranteed in their contract.

IAM, Hawaiian Airlines: IAM Lodge 141 has reached a tentative four-year agreement with Hawaiian Airlines. The contract would provide wage increases for 1,245 clerical workers.

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 December 14, 2009 (boomark / email).