Labor & Employment Law

Steve Earle Gives Up Dr. Pepper for Striking Workers?and More Bargaining News

By Belinda Boyce

Grammy winner Steve Earle gave up Dr. Pepper to urge the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to  negotiate a fair contract with workers at Motts, 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 1,300 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.

WORK STOPPAGES
RWDSU/UFCW, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group: Striking members of Retail, Warehouse and Department Store Union/UFCW (RWDSU/UFCW) Local 220 have won the support of Grammy winner Steve Earle, who is urging Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to negotiate a fair contract with the Mott’s workers and says that until then he will not drink his beloved Dr. Pepper. More than 300 workers went on strike May 23 to fight what they say is a highly profitable company just trying to take advantage of the weak economy by imposing wage and benefits cuts. To find out more about their struggle for justice and how you can help, visit www.nobadapples.com.

TNG-CWA, Albany Times Union: A victory for 11 workers at New York’s Albany Times Union when a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative law judge ordered the newspaper to rehire the workers who were fired last year. The Albany Newspaper Guild (TNG-CWA) applauded the judge’s determination that the paper violated the law when it declared an impasse and laid off the workers without notice to the union.

ICWUC/UFCW, Alliant Techsystems: Striking workers at ballistics manufacturer Alliant Techsystems Inc. in Rocket Center, W. Va., last week voted to return to work on a day-to-day basis as negotiations continue. The 700 members of the International Chemical Workers Union Council/UFCW (ICWUC/UFCW) went on strike when their previous contract expired Aug. 15.

NEGOTIATIONS
ATU, Twin Cities Metropolitan Council: Transit workers in the Twin Cities voted overwhelmingly to reject a two-year offer from the Metropolitan Council. The 2,200 members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1005 could not accept the wage freeze and increased health care costs.

UNITEHERE!, Multiple Hilton hotels: Hotel workers at four Chicago Hilton hotels voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike. The members of UNITEHERE! locals 1 and 450 say the hotel chain continues to use the down economy as an excuse to demand cuts despite improvements in business.

CWA, AT&T East and AT&T Advertising Solutions: Members of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1298 are celebrating a three-year tentative agreement reached after nearly 18 months of tough negotiations with AT&T. The deal, if ratified, will cover more than 3,500 workers at AT&T East and AT&T Advertising Solutions and will be retroactive to April 5, 2009.

MNA-NNU, Multiple Duluth hospitals: Nurses at St. Luke’s Hospital and St. Mary’s-Duluth Clinic in Duluth, Minn., last Wednesday rejected the hospitals’ offers and authorized a one-day strike. The 1,300 nurses are members of the Minnesota Nurses Associatio-NNU (MNA-NNU).

SETTLEMENTS
IBEW, Verizon Communications: Members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 824 in Tampa, Fla., on Friday ratified a new three-year contract with Verizon Communications Inc. BNA Daily Labor Report (subscription required) reports the deal covers 3,600 technicians and customer service representatives.

USW, Western Forest Products: 2,400 members of United Steelworkers (USW) locals 1-1937 and 1-85 in British Columbia ratified a four-year agreement with Western Forest Products. The pact includes a provision granting USW organizers access to nonunion worksites.

IBEW, Frontier Communications: Workers at Frontier Communications, formerly Verizon, in Oregon and Washington ratified a three-year contract retroactive to May 23. BNA Daily Labor Report (subscription required) reports that the contract covers 1,180 members of IBEW Local 89.

UFCW, Kroger Co.: Some 2,000 grocery workers at 18 mid-Atlantic stores ratified a new contract with Kroger Co. The workers are members of UFCW Local 204.

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 August 24, 2010 (boomark / email).