“It was pretty tough. There was a real possibility that Sunday morning we were going to be on a line with all the picket signs,” James Shillitto, president of Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America told the Business Journal about the just concluded contract talks with Con Edison.
The sometimes highly contentious negotiations ended with a memorandum of understanding on a new contract. The agreement finally came together at 1 a.m. Sunday.
“The company called in the federal mediators and they worked to broker a compromise,” Shillitto said. The memorandum of understanding and relevant details were presented by Shillitto to the union”™s executive board on Monday and the board unanimously voted to adopt it. He said that the union’s business agents have been out in the field meeting with the members and, so far, the reaction is very positive. Local 1-2 has about 8,000 members.
“I think it”™s a fair contract for the company, the ratepayers and my members for the next four years,” Shillitto said.
He said there should be no immediate effect on Con Edison bills since the company typically folds anticipated labor costs into its rate requests with the state Public Service Commission.
Shillitto said that the COVID-19 outbreak and the fact that about 400 members of Local 1-2 tested positive for the disease and there were nine deaths did not hinder the contract talks. Shillitto said that Con Edison has supplied everyone with the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to do their jobs.
“Once the pandemic hit we got into heavy negotiations with the company on how to reduce everyone”™s exposure. You know, you hear a lot of people asking for hazard pay and I purposely did not ask for hazard pay,” Shillitto said.
“I preferred to have my membership less exposed. The money”™s no good if you”™re sick or dead. We did work closely on that and those people who could work from home were allowed and we”™re going to continue that going forward. We have almost 3,000 members working from home now and, although it won”™t continue to be that number, it will be to some degree and that will be an ongoing conversation.
“As for my people in the field, my linemen and my splicers, the gas and steam mechanics, PPE was scarce in the beginning but Con Ed did do the right thing and everybody is supplied with the right PPE to do their job. I do feel that was one thing we did agree on all through that we have to worry about the safety of my members who happen to be their employees.”
The Business Journal was provided with details of provisions in the new 2020-24 collective bargaining agreement and Shillitto said that there were no givebacks.
Con Edison had sought givebacks, including removal of certain job titles from the union bargaining unit, making reductions in medical and pension benefits for new hires and increasing employee medical contributions while decreasing benefits.
The contract provides a 3% wage increase across the board each year for the life of contract, including 0.25% merit wage increase, with the compounded increase of 12.55% over the life of the contract.
The union said the new contract keeps medical costs paid by employees reasonable, with the lowest increases of employee contributions in years. It provides time off for a wellness exam with a physician of the employee”™s choice.
The value of life insurance provided under the contract increases from $50,000 to $100,000. The meal allowance increases incrementally to $17.50 by the end of the contract. A legal services plan is offered under the new contract as is a plan to help with refinancing student loans.
Among the other provisions is one dealing with working from home, including that the company provide laptops. There are increased stipends for the use of personal vehicles. There are provisions to establish new titles in some departments, increase wages for current employees moving into new titles and/or provide stipends or wage increases when employees pass tests for various duties.
“You know what they say: It”™s business, it”™s not personal. They had their goals, we had ours,” Shillitto said.
In other words, rate payers and consumers are screwed and the price of electricity will never be inexpensive in NY, meaning NY can’t attract businesses or jobs.
And let’s face it, these workers do just about nothing and get overwhelmed in times of crises.
John
You say these workers do just about nothing. Tell that to the family members of the 9 workers that died of COVID 19. They died because of their essential duty to provide you with electricity and natural gas while you “sheltered in place.”