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UE News Updates

North Carolina 'Moral Mondays' Protests Grow, With UE Participation

19 June, 2013
Raleigh

In the seven weeks to date of weekly “Moral Monday” protests and civil disobedience at the North Carolina state legislature, thousands of people have participated and 485 have been arrested, including 84 on June 17. This week’s arrestees were charged with failure to disperse, criminal trespass, and violating General Assembly rules that prohibit singing, loud talking, and holding signs. It took five department of corrections buses to haul away the protestors.

Local 506 Proposes Keeping All 950 Jobs, $20 Million in Savings to GE, No Pay Freeze

18 June, 2013
Erie, PA

A new bargaining bulletin from Local 506 reports on a proposal the union presented to GE yesterday. Local 506 negotiators Wayne Burnett, Scott Duke, Mike Hayes and Mike Ferritto were joined by UE General President Bruce Klipple for the June 17 session, as well as International Rep. Gene Elk. The bulletin (which you can download from the link below) says in part:

Wolcott Paras and Aides Stand Firm, Retain Defined Benefit Pension

14 June, 2013
Wolcott, CT

The educational paraprofessionals and security aides employed by the Wolcott Board of Education (BOE) waged a year-and-a-half-long struggle to defend their pension, and their unity and persistence resulted in a new four-year contract that provides 12 percent in pay raises, improved grievance language, and the preservation of the defined benefit pension.

After Local 1166 Members 'Blow the Whistle', They Win Raises, Other Improvements

14 June, 2013
Hodgkins, IL

The 100 members of Local 1166 work hard every day to make the APL warehouse run smoothly. The warehouse stocks after-market locomotive parts for Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), now owned by Caterpillar. Members voted on May 2, by a two-to one margin, to ratify a new contract with the company which includes pay raises and some gains they had tried to get for years.

GE Frustrates Union Efforts at Good-Faith Bargaining

13 June, 2013
Erie, PA

In a bulletin issued to members June 7, Local 506’s bargaining committee wrote: “After three meetings last week and two bargaining sessions this week (June 3 and 4), we regret having to inform you that there has been no real progress in our efforts to save the 950 jobs. At every bargaining session, your officers and the national union have repeatedly asked the Company for proposals to save jobs. As of yesterday (June 4), GE made no proposals and has not offered any concrete ideas to save even one job.”

(Click on the link below to download the bulletin as a PDF file.)

Local 610 Negotiations Bring Wage Gains at Wabtec

13 June, 2013
Wilmerding, PA

On May 1, members of UE Local 610 ratified a new three-year contract that improves wages, maintains the defined benefit pension for eligible employees, preserves the existing health plan with some changes, and makes other improvements. The company had sought to freeze the pension plan for tier 1 employees, and pushed that issue until late in negotiations.

Building on Earlier Victory, School Workers Win Pay Raises

13 June, 2013
Woodbridge, CT

UE Local 222’s Sub-local 80 – representing secretaries, custodians and food service workers in the Woodbridge public schools – has negotiated a three-year contract that includes major increases in wages. The new agreement goes a long ways toward the union’s goal of reducing wage disparities with workers on comparable jobs in neighboring school districts.

On "Day of Action", UE Members Rally to Save GE Jobs

12 June, 2013
Erie, PA

May 31 was a national “Day of Action” by UE members in support of the ongoing fight by Local 506 members to keep their work and good-paying union jobs in Erie, Pennsylvania – a community that has made GE profitable for more than 100 years.

At its May 16-17 meeting, the UE General Executive Board adopted a “Statement of Solidarity” with Local 506 that called for support from all UE locals, starting with a day of action on May 31 in all three UE regions.

UE General Executive Board Pledges Solidarity with Local 506

17 May, 2013
Pittsburgh

Meeting at UE's national headquarters in Pittsburgh, the union's national leadership body, the General Executive Board, adopted a statement in solidarity with UE Local 506, which is fighting GE's plan to lay off 950 union members and transfer a significant portion of work from the Erie plant to a non-union plant in Fort Worth, Texas.

(You can download a pdf file of the GEB statement by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.)

Statement in Solidarity with UE Local 506

UE General Executive Board – May 16, 2013

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