Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) negotiators representing UE, IUE-CWA, IBEW, UAW, and IAM met with GE at the so-called small table during a session which extended beyond 6:00 p.m. Thursday. For the first time since negotiations began, there is some muted optimism because tentative agreements were achieved on some small issues. During the afternoon session agreements were forged on improvements in dental care, vision care, educational loan assistance, dependent life insurance, adoption assistance, and some other subjects.
While these issues are relatively small when compared to the “800 pound gorillas” of employee health insurance, wages and COLA, job security, pensions, and retiree healthcare, it is important that the company and the unions made progress on these issues. The unions hope that this progress will improve the bargaining climate so we can move toward settling the larger and tougher issues. Obviously, much work remains to be done between now and the conclusion of bargaining, but finally there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
During the morning bargaining session, GE and the CBC reviewed a variety of issues that had been referred to the small table by both the contract language and pension and insurance subcommittees. Those subjects included transfer of work and other job and income security issues, as well as sick and personal pay and direct deposit of paychecks.
In the afternoon session, CBC bargainers worked in caucus among themselves to review most of the major proposals which have already been offered by GE. At the conclusion of that caucus, union bargainers gave the company counter offers on all GE proposals, as well as modifications to union demands previously submitted to the company. “We want to make sure,” UE General President Bruce Klipple said, “that GE really gets a good picture of what is important to our members.”
UE was represented at the small table by UE General President Bruce Klipple and International Rep. Gene Elk. Small table negotiations are due to resume on Friday, June 19 at 9:00 a.m.
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS HAMMER GE ON ISSUES
While top representatives of five CBC unions sought a path to an acceptable contract settlement, union members of the two subcommittees continued to hammer the company on key issues that must be resolved in a new contract. The subcommittees include some union staff, but are mostly composed of elected leaders of local unions at GE locations, including UE, IUE-CWA, IAM, UAW, IBEW, Steelworkers, and IFPTE.
In the Contract Language Subcommittee, the company began the day by announcing that it would “stop talking about packages,” a victory for the unions who had opposed “package deals” that made acceptance of good company proposals dependent on accepting the bad ones too.
The unions then called a caucus to decide how to respond to several company proposals. Upon returning to meet with GE, the unions responded to several proposals affecting workers in GE apparatus service shops. Local union leaders Todd Smith of IUE-CWA, Robby Evans of IBEW, and Rick Madal of IUE-CWA Local 707, all of whom represent service shop workers, pointed out serious inadequacies in the company’s proposals on payments for these workers’ tools, work shoes, and personal protective equipment and asked the company to move on these issues. Eric DeJohn of IUE Local 640 gave the unions’ official response accepting the company proposals on two issues, and said the unions would give further consideration to another.
One GE proposal threatened elimination of the current 40 percent premium on overseas assignments and demanded that it be replaced with a schedule of country-by-country rates. Brother Smith swiftly and emphatically told the company, “Hell no!” But the company wouldn’t let this issue go even after DeJohn explained that UE’s Scott Slawson had crunched the numbers, and found that the company’s schedule only paid an average of only 19.46 percent, and offered no premium at all for many countries. Before the discussion had ended, the company had angered people on the union side by seeming to make light of the personal sacrifices and dangers these skilled workers face during extended assignments in foreign countries. Rick Madal asked, “What could be a more inviting target for terrorists than a foreigner servicing a nuclear power plant?”
Scott Slawson read the unions’ counter proposal on increasing sick and personal time. The company offered new counter proposals on Income Extension Aid and on rate guarantees. The subject of preferential preference, and the limited list GE offers workers who are entitled to this program, led once again to a heated discussion. Sherice Stark, business agent of UE Local 332 at the Ft. Edward capacitor plant (slated for closing), asked, “Why are we offered only 20 plants? Why not all plants? We have to do a lot of work to even find out which ones are hiring, what skills they require, and what they pay, because you don’t tell us.” Rick Madal of IUE-CWA backed her up. “It’s not their fault they’re losing their jobs. It’s GE’s fault. Open up the list.”
The unions told GE that they were not yet ready to respond to its proposals on paperless payroll with mandatory direct deposit, and on changing the language on decision bargaining over transfer of work. In the afternoon GE offered additional proposals in response to union proposals it had received one or two weeks ago. The unions plan to respond to these on Friday.
UE was represented on the contract language subcommittee by UE Local 506 President Scott Slawson, UE Local 506 Chief Plant Steward Leo Grzegorzewski, UE Local 332 Business Agent Sherice Stark, UE Local 618 President Mike Divins, and UE Field Organizer Omar el-Malah.
HEALTHCARE FIGHT CONTINUES
Much of the morning session at the Pensions and Insurance Subcommittee was taken up by union members talking about the problems with GEHB and the need for major changes in health insurance. The majority of union members on this large committee spoke during this discussion. The president of IUE-CWA Local 1004 in Arkansas City, Kansas read letters from his members on how they’ve been harmed by increased costs under GEHB. Leaders of IAM locals also gave testimony on this issue, as well as members of UAW Local 647 in Evendale, OH. The president of IUE-CWA Local 861 in Louisville pointedly warned GE not to think that it can buy votes with a bonus check.
Jim Ledford, IUE-CWA staff representative and co-chair of the Pension and Insurance Subcommittee, talked about members who don’t take an ambulance in an emergency because the cost is too high. The unions proposed that GE pay the full cost of an ambulance trip, and Ledford’s comments were echoed by many others. Ledford also said workers are paying a larger share of health costs than was agreed to in 2011 – 27 percent rather than the 24 percent the parties had agreed to. The company’s response to all of these points was essentially, “We hear what you’re saying.”
For the afternoon session, GE brought in three members of its Human Resources Customer Care Team – Sean Dewey, Kathy Dolan, and Kristi-Anne Berner – who described how they assist employees and union reps in dealing with specific problems encountered by members under GE benefit plans, and provided their direct phone numbers. Ledford and Frank Fusco, UE Local 506 business agent, both confirmed that these GE representatives have been very helpful in resolving many problems.
There was then an extended discussion on how the company can provide employees with better service in dealing with health insurance, pension and other benefits. The company focused on offering training to union officers to deal with these issues. Local 506 Vice President Mike Ferritto summed up the union view. “We need HR benefits representatives in our plants who can assist our members face-to-face. As union representatives we’ll continue to assist our members as much as we can, but that’s not our primary job.” Ferritto pointed out that even while the Erie plant has increased its overhead costs and its ratio of bosses to workers, it has cut back on human resources.
UE proposes that GE provide an on-site benefits counselor at each major company location who can act as an employee advocate. The company has not yet responded to this proposal.
Also in the Pension and Insurance Subcommittee, the company presented proposals for some improvements in disability benefits to which the unions will respond on Friday.
UE was represented on the Pensions and Insurance Subcommittee by Frank Fusco and Mike Ferritto, Local 506; Melvin O’Dell, Local 332; Fred Harris, Local 601; and Peter Knowlton, Northeast Region president.
Below: UE's Sherice Stark, Leo Grzegorzewski and Mike Divins in Contract Language Subcommittee; a caucus of the Pension and Insurance Subcommittee with IUE-CWA's Jim Ledford in foreground; Peter Knowlton, Mike Ferrito, Gary Jordan of UAW, and Frank Fusco on Pension and Insurance Subcommittee.
