Posts tagged grievance
Art museum and workers in dispute over scheduled pay raises
July 7, 2023 // The raises were part of the contract agreement that ended the 2022 strike. “It’s really a punch in the gut for a lot of folks,” said Adam Rizzo, president of the PMA union, an affiliate of AFSCME DC47. The disagreement involves a differing interpretation in contract language about longevity pay increase between the union and their managers, which became clear in a meeting between the parties on Wednesday, according to Rizzo.
Erie’s United Electrical Workers Strike at Wabtec
June 26, 2023 // On June 10, Wabtec offered workers what was described as their "last, best, and final offer" in the ongoing contract negotiations. On June 22, the membership voted not to ratify it. Wabtec executives expressed disappointment in a letter, stating that it is an "unfortunate decision" that the labor would "engage in a strike at this time rather than return to the bargaining table." They added that a walkout benefited no one and argued that they had "repeatedly informed the UE" that the Erie plant's labor costs were burdening and their work rules too restrictive. "UE members have rejected these terms," the company continued, "and are striking in support of Union proposals that would significantly increase our wage and benefit costs, further limit operational flexibility, and create an on-going risk of disruption in our manufacturing operations." Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was no mention by the company of the costs of Wabtec executives as a burden. According to the AFL-CIO, Wabtec CEO Rafael Santana received over $11 million in compensation in 2021 alone. Explained in another way, $11 million is equivalent to nearly 150 employees earning $75,000 each. For additional context, as described by the Economic Policy Institute, the CEO-to-worker compensation disparity has increased significantly over the decades: 15-to-1 in 1965, 44-to-1 in 1989, to now hundreds of times more today (between 200 to 300).
Connecticut State Trooper Wins $260,500 Settlement in Federal Lawsuit Against Police Union and Department Officials
April 28, 2023 // In August 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut denied motions to dismiss the case filed by CSPU and state officials, allowing the case to proceed. Pressure on defendants increased in May 2022, when the District Court ordered DESPP Commissioner James Rovella, who had replaced Schriro, to turn over additional discovery. Now, CSPU and DEPP officials have backed down and settled the case. As part of the settlement, Mercer will receive more than two hundred thousand dollars from CSPU and DEPP. In May 2015, Sergeant Mercer was appointed Operations Sergeant of the Emergency Services Unit, a prestigious command position that entails significant responsibility for Emergency Services training and field operations. Although Sergeant Mercer had seventeen years of experience, in June 2015, CSPU President Matthews filed a grievance over Sergeant Mercer’s appointment.
Michigan: Unions Can’t Discriminate Against Non-Members
April 27, 2023 // Unions must not be allowed to charge non-members exorbitant fees for the right to voice complaints to their employer, according to an amicus brief filed by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy to the Michigan Supreme Court. The brief was filed in the case Technical Professional and Officeworkers Association of Michigan v. Renner. Unions have monopoly power over employment rules and conditions, including how grievances must be addressed. In this case, the union refused to represent Daniel Lee Renner in a dispute with his employer unless he paid $1,290 just to start the grievance process. The collective bargaining agreement negotiated by TPOAM prohibits individual employees like Renner from filing grievances on their own behalf. This forces those employees to obtain union representation if they wish to have their voices heard. “This policy is meant to strongarm public employees who have made it clear that they do not want to associate with a union,” said Patrick J. Wright
National Right to Work Foundation Files Brief at Michigan Supreme Court Blasting TPOAM Union’s Forced Fee Scheme
April 25, 2023 // In addition to ignoring a long line of NLRB precedents, the brief concludes, “TPOAM cavalierly defends its illegal fee on the basis that Renner made a choice to be a nonmember and he is the one requesting TPOAM assistance.” However, because Renner has a right under Michigan law to abstain from union activity, “[t]he fact TPOAM treated him differently because he exercised that statutory right is evidence it committed an unfair labor practice, not a defense.” “TPOAM union officials’ scheme forcing nonmember public employees to pay into a union grievance system is illegal, just as it was both before and during Right to Work’s enactment in Michigan,” commented National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. “As the Foundation’s amicus brief shows, TPOAM’s position ignores mountains of precedent and lets union bosses keep mandating fees designed to force dissenting workers into full union membership, in obvious violation of their rights.”
Outgoing New York Teachers Union Boss Leaves Behind an Organization Deep in the Red
February 20, 2023 // NYSUT and its allies pushed hard last year for a mandate that requires New York City’s public schools to phase in class-size limits over the course of five years. At least 20 percent of the city’s schools will need to reduce class sizes, requiring more classes and more classroom teachers. The union has also been fighting to stymie the growth of charters: Earlier this month, Governor Hochul in her most recent budget proposal moved toward increasing the number of charter schools in New York City. “If I was paying dues under the assumption that the union was using those dues to represent me with my employers, it would be a little concerning to me that so much of that is being used for other things,” the senior organizing director of Americans for Fair Treatment, Brigette Herbst, says. “Perhaps they should focus more on those representational activities.”
OHIO: County AFL-CIO asks commissioners to back Harris radio system
February 7, 2023 // Commissioner Michelle Hung and former commissioner Matt Lundy voted Dec. 21 to approve the nearly $8 million contract, using a portion of Lorain County's share of American Rescue Plan Act funds. Moore and Riddell voted to rescind the contract Jan. 9, saying the bid process was improper and may have been interfered with by Hung. The later accusation is under investigation by the state Auditor's Office. In response, CCI filed a breach of contract lawsuit and the union representing Lorain County sheriff's deputies filed a grievance that appears headed for arbitration.
Voters agree: There’s nothing wrong with employer meetings on unionization
October 13, 2022 // Employers are legally prohibited from interrogating, threatening, or making promises during union organizing efforts, which is when many of these EMUs occur. By contrast, unions have little to no restrictions on their speech, including what they can promise to potential members, making the need for EMUs even more important.
On strike: Clark University graduate workers walk out
October 7, 2022 // Less than a month after voting to authorize a strike, the union has had one bargaining meeting, during which, the union said, the university made it clear it would not be open to substantive negotiations. “We are campaigning for a contract that guarantees financial security and access to health care,” said William Westgard-Cruice, a Ph.D. candidate and member of the union organizing committee. "We believe that the administration will have to come to the table." The university and the union have reached tentative agreements in three of four broad categories, the university said, including management and union rights, appointments and work assignments, and discipline and grievance processes.