For the first time ever, each department elected its own rank-and-file representative to serve on the bargaining committee. The committee’s first fight came before negotiations even got into issues of substance, as the city tried to impose bargaining ground rules that included a “gag order” or “blackout” of news to the membership during negotiations. The practice of keeping members in the dark about their own contract bargaining is all too common among some public sector unions in Connecticut, and the Shelton officials were accustomed to getting this concession from other unions.
This new UE committee flatly rejected this demand, and the issue took several bargaining sessions to resolve. With the union standing firm on its commitment to keep the membership fully informed about negotiations, the city eventually backed down.
FIGHTING WAGE INEQUITY
Recognizing the wide disparity in wages among the three departments, the committee fought long and hard to narrow the gaps. Under the new agreement, the overall average bargaining unit hourly rate will increase from $20.61 to $23.90 per hour, for an average raise of 16 percent over four years.
UE members in the Highway Department will see their hourly rates move from the existing range of $22.19 to $23.88 per hour, to a range of between $25.22 and $27.14. This represents a four-year increase of 13.65 percent.
The committee won even bigger gains for the lowest-paid members by insisting on equity adjustments for them in addition to the general wage increases. As a result, the hourly rate in the Building Maintenance division will increase by more than 18 percent, while the Parks and Recreation workers will gain 25 percent over four years. First-year wage increases and adjustments are retroactive to July 1, 2007.
The other major fight was around health insurance. These workers have long enjoyed full coverage completely paid by the employer. This had come at a price, however – they had in the past received smaller wage increases than workers in the surrounding communities who were paying part of the cost of their healthcare.
Health coverage became a hotly contested issue in many bargaining sessions, and a major topic at union membership meetings. The negotiating committee kept members informed about the healthcare battle at the bargaining table, and members responded by wearing UE “Hands Off Our Health Insurance” buttons and stickers, leafleting the public, and attending and speaking at Board of Alderman meetings. This kind of rank-and-file actions was new to both union members and the city, but very effective in keeping workers’ needs at the forefront
In the end, the membership succeeded in keeping fully employer-paid health insurance for the first three years of the new contract, through July 2010. In the fourth and final year of the agreement, members can choose to keep fully-paid insurance, but with a different plan design, or they can keep their current plan and pay the difference in the annual premium costs.
The committee won increases in the annual shoe and tool allowances, additional term life insurance, and improved bereavement leave. The new contract also improves overtime and layoff language.
The negotiating committee consisted of Sub-local 29 President Dave Catlin, John Docktor, Bobby Korolyshun, George Quadretti, and Dave Dulin. The final settlement was reached with the help of UE members George Stachowitz, Brian Fette, and Brian Roach. The bargaining committee was assisted by UE Field Organizers John Woodruff Jr. and Colleen Ezzo.