Labor & Employment Law

1,750 California Transit Workers Win New Contract?and More Bargaining News

By Belinda Boyce

Transit workers in Alameda, Calif., win a new contract after working without one since June 30, 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.

SETTLEMENTS
ATU, Alameda County Transit: In Oakland, Calif., an arbitration panel issued a new three-year contract for Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 192 and Alameda County Transit. The pact covers 1,750 drivers and mechanics who have been working without a contract since June 30.

UNITEHERE!, Delta Chelsea Hotel: After a 13-day strike, members of UNITEHERE! Local 75 ratified a new contract with the Delta Chelsea hotel in Toronto. The contract covers some 510 workers and provides increased wages, as well as improved health care and pension benefits.

WORK STOPPAGES
AFM, Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Last week, as the strike by musicians at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra entered its fifth week, the Detroit Federation of Musicians/AFM and orchestra management began informal talks. These were the first talks since negotiations broke down Sept. 24.

ATU, Worcester Regional Transit Authority: Bus drivers and mechanics at Worcester Regional Transit Authority in Massachusetts are on strike today, after mediated talks failed to produce an agreement.  The workers are members of ATU Local 22.

USW, U.S. Steel Corp.: Some 900 members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1005 in Ontario, Canada, were locked out one week ago by U.S. Steel Corp. USW accuses the company of bad faith bargaining, and workers are outraged with the company’s proposal to create a two-tier pension system.

NEGOTIATIONS
UAW, Harrah?s Entertainment: More than three years of negotiations resulted in a tentative five-year agreement between dealers at Caesars Atlantic City and Harrah’s Entertainment. If ratified, this will be the first contract for the workers who voted to join UAW in 2007.

ALPA, Evergreen International Airlines: Pilots at Evergreen International Airlines, who have been working under the same contract for 11 years, may call a strike if bargaining does not resume by the end of the month. The 227 pilots are members of the Air Line Pilots (ALPA).

UNITEHERE!, Kaiser Permanente: Kaiser Permanente has reached an agreement with UNITEHERE! Local 5 in Hawaii. If ratified, the contract will cover 1,800 workers and run through June 2012.

UFCW, Multiple Grocery Stores: Grocery workers in the Puget Sound area of Washington State voted overwhelmingly to reject a contract proposal and authorized a strike at Safeway, Albertsons, QFC and Fred Meyer stores. The 25,000 workers are members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 21.

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 November 15, 2010 (boomark / email).