Labor & Employment Law

3,000 Steelworkers at Vale Inco Vote to Stay on Strike?and More Bargaining News

By Belinda Boyce

Some 3,000 United Steelworkers members at Vale Inco vote to stay on the picket line after eight months on strike, 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 & LEGAL ACTION
USW, Vale Inco: Striking United Steelworkers (USW) in Canada overwhelmingly rejected an offer from Brazilian mining company Vale Inco on Friday. The 3,000 members of USW Local 6500 have now been on strike eight months and say the contract offer was “insulting.” 

ILWU, Rio Tinto: Some good news for locked-out workers in Boron, Calif., with mining giant Rio Tinto agreeing to withdraw some demands the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) said were illegal. The union, which represents 600 miners who have been locked out since Jan. 31, still has charges pending against Rio Tinto at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), including an allegation that the lockout is illegal. Keep up with developments on the miners’ website.  

UFCW, Shaw’s Supermarkets: Striking grocery workers in Methuen, Mass., set up pickets outside Shaw’s and Star supermarkets last week. The 309 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 791 have been on strike since March 7.

ILWU, Pacific Beach Hotel: A circuit court judge has ordered a Hawaiian hotel to rehire five workers and resume bargaining, after a three-year-long dispute. ILWU Local 142 filed charges with the NLRB after 30 workers were fired by the Pacific Beach Hotel in 2007, when new management took over.

SETTLEMENTS
CWA, City of Columbus: The Columbus City Council approved a new contract covering more than 1,100 city workers. The members of Columbus Municipal Association of Government Employees (CWA-CMAGE) will receive a 6 percent wage increase over the term but also will see small increases to their pension and health care contributions in order to help the city with its budget shortfall.

USW, United States Enrichment Corporation: Workers at a uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio, ratified a five-year contract with United States Enrichment Corporation on Wednesday. The contract covers 495 members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 689.

AFSCME, City of Phoenix: Workers for the city of Phoenix on March 6 ratified a two-year agreement. The 2,000 members of AFSCME Local 2384 agreed to a 3.2 percent cut in wages and benefits to get the two-year contract, rather than have to return to the table again next year.

NEGOTIATIONS
TWU, American Airlines: The Transport Workers (TWU) has filed a request with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to release them from mediation with American Airlines. If the release is granted, a 30-day cooling off period follows before the workers can engage in a strike. TWU represents 28,000 workers in 11 bargaining units at American and says after years of negotiations with little progress, it’s time to take the next step.

GMP, Owens Corning: Owens Corning and the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers (GMP) Local 244 agreed to a contract extension to allow a vote this week on a tentative three-year agreement. The 560 members at the Newark, Ohio, plant rejected a previous proposal last week.

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 March 15, 2010 (boomark / email).