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Bargaining Digest Weekly |
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The bankruptcy judge for Northwest Airlines formally approved the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) contract covering flight attendants, pending the vote on ratification of the agreement, which is expected to be completed Monday.
Northwest Airlines and AMFA mechanics will resume contract negotiations on Aug. 15, nearly a year after going on strike. After the AFA-CWA settlement with flight attendants, AMFA is the only group without an agreement in place with the bankrupt carrier.
Some of the major airlines are returning to profitability. United posted a second quarter profit, and Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) pilots at US Airways tell the company they expect to recoup some of their givebacks in negotiations for new agreement now that they are out of the woods. Similarly, the independent American Pilots Association says its members shared the pain, and now that the CEO is getting a raise, they want to share the gain.
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The United Steelworkers (USW) has reached a tentative agreement at tire company BFGoodrich. Details won’t be released until after the ratification vote, which will likely be in the next couple of weeks for the 4,000 members. USW Vice President Ron Hoover said, “We achieved our industry goals when it comes to protecting retiree health care benefits and securing additional job protection measures.”
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In North Canton, Ohio, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and consultants continue to help Hoover workers find investment partners to buy the vacuum cleaner-making plant through an employee stock ownership plan.
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In Pennsylvania, members of the International Union of Electrical Workers (IUOE-CWA) in Latrobe approved a new contract, clearing a hurdle for the Rolling Rock brewer to be purchased.
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The Steelworkers won a $2 million arbitration at the Gerdau-Ameristeel plant in Calvert City, Ky. The company had refused to pay workers their profit sharing guaranteed under the contract when they purchased the plant from North Star Steel.
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In an attempt to retain public safety workers, New Orleans is raising police pay by 10 percent and firefighter starting pay by $5,300 a year. However, veteran firefighters and emergency medical services workers are left out of the new package.
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Anticipating the upcoming “Kentucky River” decisions by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to rewrite the definition of “supervisor,” Quinnipiac University rescinded its recognition of the AFT faculty union after 30 years of bargaining. Quinnipiac, a private school in Hamden, Conn., says 240 faculty members are all supervisors.
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Remember the 2002 lockout of International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) members? The Longshoremen (ILA) fight for recognition in Charleston and the Charleston 5? Since those struggles, East and West coast longshore workers have prospered by keeping up with technology. News articles this week highlight the ILWU and ILA successes, international longshore worker solidarity, their history of fighting for equity when new technology is introduced and their critical role in international trade today.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a rule requiring public companies to provide more information about the compensation of top executives. Also, a modification of a rule was proposed for revealing the compensation of executives who are paid more than top executives who already disclose some pay information.
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The United Auto Workers (UAW) will hold a meeting with its Mitsubishi members in Normal, Ill., to review discussions with the company for contract cutbacks. The current agreement runs through July 2008. A voluntary buyout program is also in place to cut as many as 84 workers.
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Internationally, police were called in to quell a protest for higher pay by 1,000 Chinese workers at a factory making toys for McDonald’s. China Labor Watch said dozens of workers were arrested and many others were injured at worker dormitories. Workers in the plant, owned by the Merton Co., make the state minimum—$71.75 per month.
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The Hyundai Motor Co. reached an agreement to end the strike in South Korea. The New York Times profiles two Hyundai Companies and their different stances with labor.
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The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily bargaining related news and research resources to more than 700 union leaders throughout the country. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining at Work.
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