Utility Workers Union of America

Negotiations Update

Wednesday October 19^th

The Joint Steering Committee continues to sift through numerous e-mails and attachments and volumes of information through the weekend and yesterday as the JSC met on its own. Yesterday at about 9:30am the company stated to the Union that it had finished and completed answering all of the Union’s information requests. However, the JSC provided the Company with a 17-page letter listing information that has not been provided to the Union, letting them know that the Union’s information requests were handed to them months ago and continue to be the subject of unfair labor practice charges we have filed against them for bargaining in bad faith by delaying and refusing information.

We will continue to sift through their responses as the Company sends them. The company thinks that the Union will speed through their responses, but we will take as much time as we need to read and analyze the information before we respond to their proposals.

The Union later demanded and asked the Company to withdraw and to stop forcing some of the proposals it had on its Last Best and Final Offer. The Company responded that this was their last best and final Proposal.

The Union was notified by the Federal Mediator that the company was suspending negotiations in order to take their own time to answer our letter. The Company is to call the Union to inform us of the next day it is ready to meet and resume negotiations.

We will continue to keep you abreast as we continue to bargain in good faith to obtain a contract that is fair for you and your families.

The Union thanks you for your support and solidarity. You will be hearing from us.

Stay United and stay Strong!

The following is an update on contract negotiations with the gas company as of Friday October 14.

As you know, the contract is set to expire tonight at midnight. We are still sifting through numerous pieces of information we received from the company as late as 10pm last night. The Union had requested much of this information months ago, which are the subject of some of the unfair labor practice charges we have filed against the company.

Negotiations will resume today at the office of the Federal Mediator. While there has been some recent movement by the company, we are still miles apart from a settlement with demands by the company on pensions, wages, contract term, healthcare, sick time, (just to name a few) that are still on the table.

Yesterday’s rally in front the Gas Company tower was a huge success. With the company’s continued desire to provoke a labor dispute, that rally was just the first of many more to come.

Your continued solidarity and involvement is still key to the successful outcome of this attempted assault by the Gas Company on you the workers and your families. .

Stay United Stay Strong

Company Refusal to Provide Information Delays Negotiations

The Union worked all day trying to respond to the Company’s Last Best and Final proposal, without the Company having provided the information that has been requested, in some cases more than two months ago.  Unfortunately, our work was in vain.  Large quantities of information have not been provided, and as a result the Unions have already filed National Labor Relations Board charges against the Company for failure to provide the information.
Finally at the end of the day the Union provided the attached letter to the Company explaining the situation and the absolute necessity of providing the information in order to continue bargaining.  The letter was drafted with the assistance from the Union’s lawyers.
At the same time members from all over the system continue to express their anger at the Company takeaways and their posture in negotiations.  All of us are working at many different levels to put pressure on the Company.   Keep up the good work and the pressure on.
The Joint Steering Committee.

October 10 letter to co re not answering info reqs 3 page.pdf

September 30th, 2011 Contract Expires.

The CBA  has been extended to September 14th

Union’s Comprehensive Package Offer 9-30-2011.pdf

Company’s Final Comprehensive Package Offer 9-30-2011.pdf

Negotiations 2011 Contract Extension Message.pdf

Union Meetings – Locations 2011-10-04 thru 07.pdf

President Frias’ Open Letter to Membership:  Click Here (31.71 kB)

Membership Meeting Locations:  Click Here! (137.47 kB)

JSC’s UNITED ACTION:  Click Here! (276.17 kB)

Company Disrupts Negotiations:

Threatens to fire up to 100 members

To All Members:

The Company has just announced during negotiations that it is holding investigatory interviews with up to as many as 100 employees, questioning whether the status of their dependents has been accurately claimed and justified. They claim they are offering shop stewards in each case which means they are considering discipline. They refused to guarantee that they would not take discipline up to and including termination against employees they feel may have broken their rules.

The Company’s action is clearly intended to intimidate members and to disrupt negotiations by attacking and threatening to fire our members barely a week before the contract is set to expire. The Union was immediately forced to get legal advice and to do what we can to protect our members.

We are demanding a list of everyone who is or has been interviewed, when the interviews will be conducted, and what the Company is questioning in each case, as well as the potential penalty. When we requested the information immediately, the Company instructed your Committee to go back to work.

We very strongly recommend to any member questioned with regard to their dependents, that they demand the presence of their steward and that both the member and the steward call their respective union offices before meeting with the Company, and if possible sooner if either knows of the Company’s intent to perform an investigation. Your Union office can assist in any investigation.

In the meantime the Union is doing whatever it can to stop the Company’s unjustified activity and protect our members.

As soon as we have more information we will let you know.