UE Service Center Workers

On Tuesday June 7 & Wednesday June 8, 2011, UE Local 1008 Bargaining Committee along with a Bargaining Committee representative from Local 208, met with the new contract employers Longview/Fed Consulting JV to continue negotiating our Union contract.

The Union presented a set of contract language proposals on issues such as seniority, just cause, the grievance procedure, union security, union stewards, layoff and recall, the attendance policy and more.

The companies have decided they would like two union contracts which will mirror each other. One contract will be between Longview and UE and will cover most of the workers at the California Service Center. The second contract will be between FedConsulting and UE and will cover most of the employees in Vermont as well as a handful of California employees who work for FedConsulting.

The Union expects to sign the same or similar agreements with FedConsulting as it already signed with Longview. Some of the tentative agreements reached with Longview include contract language on:

• Bulletin Boards
• Just Cause protections (Discipline and Discharge)
  
• Seniority Rights (using SCA service date)
  
• Layoff & Recall Rights (by seniority)
  
• Job Postings (openings filled by qualifications and seniority)
  

There are still some language proposals that both the Company and the Union have not formally reached an agreement on that will be further discussed in the upcoming session to be held in Vermont. For instance, the Union is proposing that Union stewards be paid for time spent meeting with management as this would be more conducive to resolving workplace problems. The Union also wants strong Union security language and a fair attendance policy.

Overall the bargaining committee along with the employer felt that both sessions were very productive .

While in California an employee from Perot Systems (now owed by Dell) joined the negotiations to announce that the majority of Perot employes have joined the Union and want to be recognized and included in contract negotiations.

The UE is hopeful that the tone set in California will be carried forward to Vermont and that the next set of negotiations in St. Albans will result in the conclusion of bargaining for language articles so that the parties can move on to wages, benefits and other economic items.

Bargaining for a new contract at the service centers in California and Vermont opened on May 16, in St. Albans Vermont.

At this first session, the Union and the Company discussed possible ground rules for negotiations, expectations, schedules and logistics. The parties also set a date for the exchange of non-economic proposals at the next bargaining session in California.

The Union made an opening statement in which it stressed that workers organized with UE because they need annual wage increases, better benefits, the job security that comes with just cause and other improvements. The Union also argued that the parties need to negotiate a fair recognition process for service center workers who want to be protected by a Union contract but are not yet recognized by the company as Union members. UE said that it expected to negotiate a decent agreement with the new contractors.

The UE proposed that the parties bargain a single contract to cover unionized employees at both service centers and the company seemed amennable to this suggestion.

The Union raised some classification related issues and questions about the health and welfare benefits being paid former Northrop-Grumman employees. The Union also reviewed and asked questions about the information it had requested that has been supplied by the company to date.

Union Discusses “Dress Code”

At the first negotiating session with the company, the Union raised its objections to the dress code that the company has published in its handbooks. The UE argued that the dress code is overly broad and at odds with federal labor law.
We believe that the company now understands our rights. UE members should continue to wear their Union t-shirts proudly. If anyone experiences any harassment over wearing t-shirts, please contact the Union immediately.

Representing UE were Vermont negotiating committee members Joe Holmes, Dawn Rabideau and Greg Wright. Local president Jeanette Weiland also attended and observed the session. Representing the company were attorney Tom Somers, Kevin Mozer, Tom Leupp, J. Scott Blackman, and Paul LaBonte. The Union has been told that many of the same company representatives and the same attorney will bargain on behalf of the company in California.