Labor & Employment Law

23,000 California State Workers Reach Tentative Pact?and More Bargaining News

By Belinda Boyce

Some 23,000 California state employees reach tentative agreements with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, 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.

NEGOTIATIONS
Multiple, State of California: Four California unions representing 23,000 state workers reached tentative agreements with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. AFSCME, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP), the California Department of Forestry Firefighters (IAFF) and the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians (CAPT-Ind.) agreed to changes in pension benefits that will save the state $72 million in the next fiscal year.

NNU-MNA, Multiple Hospitals: 12,000 Minnesota nurses today are voting whether to authorize an open-ended strike at 14 Twin Cities area hospitals. The vote follows a one-day strike by the members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (NNU-MNA) earlier this month.

WORK STOPPAGES
ALPA, Spirit Airlines: The Air Line Pilots reached a tentative agreement with Spirit Airlines late yesterday, and flights could resume as early as tomorrow. Speaking on behalf of the pilots, Capt. Sean Creed said the agreement “provides increases in pay and retirement benefits, protects our work rules, and ensures our job security at Spirit. After four days on the picket line, this agreement also gets this pilot group and this airline back where they belong-in the air.”

SMWIA, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association: The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association of Milwaukee locked out 1,800 members of the Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA) last week. SMWIA Local 18 and the association, which represents 80 contractors, have been in negotiations since April.

IBEW, Delmarva Power: 700 workers at Delaware’s Delmarva Power and Conectiv Energy went on strike Friday. Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1238 and Delmarva will meet with federal mediators today.

UFCW, Dr Pepper Snapple Group: Striking workers at a Mott’s plant in Williamson, N.Y., rallied Thursday and were joined by lieutenant governor candidate Robert Duffy. The 300 members of Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (UFCW-RWDSU) Local 220 went on strike last month after Mott’s owner Dr Pepper Snapple Group proposed wage and benefits cuts despite the company’s record profit last year.

SETTLEMENTS
Multiple, Gate Gourmet, Inc.: Workers at airline caterer Gate Gourmet, Inc. ratified a new national agreement. The 5,300 workers are represented by UNITE HERE, UFCW-RWDSU and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) and the Teamsters.

AFT, Pittsburgh Public Schools: The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (AFT) ratified a new five-year contract with Pittsburgh Public Schools. The deal provides annual wage increases and includes a pilot merit-pay program, which won the district $40 million dollars from the Gates Foundation.

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 June 21, 2010 (boomark / email).