The System Committee and the Company are in the second week of negotiations. We exchanged proposals on Tuesday, October 4th. and began formal negotiations on Tuesday, October 11th. The first week of talks were productive and several issues have been tentatively agreed to between the parties.
The talks have gone well to date and I feel there is a very good atmosphere considering the prior history of negotiations between the parties and the pending merger of our company with Duke. The Union and the Company both committed to finishing negotiations prior to the expiration of the current contract.
There are a few differences this year compared to previous negotiations. One of those differences is the number of proposals between the parties. The union presented 43 proposals and added a 44th the day we exchanged packages. The company presented 23 proposals and added a 24th the same day. Typically, there are 100 plus proposals to discuss between us. The 68 combined proposals are a substantial reduction in the volume of issues to be resolved. I would assume (that's never a good thing to do, but..)the pending merger has a “little" something to do with the reduced number of proposals presented by the company.
One of the issues facing the parties right now is the difference in the proposed length of the contract. The company has proposed a one (1) year agreement and the union has proposed a four (4) to five (5) year agreement. Certainly this will be an issue that needs to be settled sooner, rather than later.
All of the proposals are posted on the local's website, www.ibew1412.org, and may be viewed at your leisure. If there are any questions concerning the proposals, the ongoing negotiations or any other issue please bring them to the union meeting. The union meeting will provide me an opportunity and a platform to have frank, straightforward conversations about the proposals, negotiations or any other issue.
I will continue to keep everyone informed as negotiations move forward and will try and post an updated account of where the proposals stand. I would ask that you help keep the rumor mill to a minimum and continue to stay focused on safely performing your job duties. I’m sure there will be a lot of announcements in the coming days and weeks about negotiations and the merger. Those announcements can sometimes become distractions. We are excellent craftsmen and need to continue providing safe, reliable service to the company, and most importantly, to the customers we serve everyday.
I look forward to meeting with everyone on Monday, November 7th at 7:00pm.
Fraternally,
David B. Price
Business Manager LU 1412
