UE NEWS Updates

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UE Wins At Burlington's City Market

March 4, 2003
Burlington, VT

A card-check completed on Friday, Feb. 28 brought UE its latest organizing win, securing bargaining rights for approximately 160 full and part-time workers at Burlington’s cooperatively owned downtown supermarket.

Rev. Michael Cronogue of St. Michael’s College conducted the card count and reported that 105 of 157 eligible employees signed UE membership cards.

A majority of co-op workers had also voted for the union in a community election earlier in the month as a means of convincing the co-op’s board of directors to agree to the card-check procedure.

Veteran Organizer, Leader Hugh Harley Dies

February 25, 2003
Pittsburgh

A statement issued by the UE General Officers follows.

Hugh Harley, a veteran organizer and retired UE national officer whose connection with the union spanned more than six decades, died Friday, Feb. 14 in his home in Florida. Harley was particularly known for his major role in organizing the machine-tool, cutting-tool and hand-tool industries in western Massachusetts and Vermont and negotiating agreements with those employers.

UE Endorses Goals Of Labor Against War

January 21, 2003
Pittsburgh

The UE General Executive Board, meeting in the union’s headquarters here Jan. 16-17, endorsed the founding statement of the newly organized U.S. Labor Against the War coalition. The Board made a $1,000 donation to the coalition and agreed to publicize union-backed anti-war activity throughout UE and further internal discussions about the issues behind the drive to war with Iraq.

"Save Manufacturing Jobs," UE Members Tell Wisconsin Governor

May 21, 2002
Madison, WI

With a large state budget deficit and political scandals compromising both parties, the Wisconsin Capitol is not a place most state legislators would like to be these days.

On April 30, the Capitol became even more interesting as UE members came to town to demand action to save manufacturing jobs.

Those attending the fourth annual Wisconsin UE Political Action Day met with Gov. Scott McCallum and with at least one of their lawmakers.

James Kane, Retired UE President, Dies at 78

April 3, 2002
Springfield, VT

• In Memoriam ...

James M. Kane, who served as president of UE during the Reagan years, died April 1 at age 78. A militant leader of Vermont machine workers, Kane was also president of UE’s northeastern region for many years.

Despite many years in union office, Kane had difficulty with the notion of being a "professional" labor leader. "It’s hard for me to get over the idea that I’m a worker," he told a reporter in 1981.

UE Members at Graham Packaging Still Don't Pay for Health Insurance!

March 28, 2002
Santa Ana, CA

The UE Local 1421 members at Graham Packaging take satisfaction from knowing that under the terms of their new agreement health insurance will continue to be a company-paid benefit – without a cent coming out of their pockets towards the cost of the premium.

Also, the contract sets doctor-visit co-payments at $5, so that the cost to Graham workers can’t be raised by health care providers.

Negotiations took five days, concluding March 1. UE members ratified the contract on March 6.

Local 264 Meets Goals In EIS Bargaining

March 12, 2002
Holyoke, MA

As EIS Wire and Cable emerged from three years of bankruptcy under new ownership, the members of amalgamated UE Local 264 employed at the South Hadley plant faced tough challenges. The venture capitalist group that bought EIS recognized the union but not the contract.

UE members entered negotiations with three goals: get as much money up front as possible; because ground had been lost in previous negotiations, restore as much contract language as possible; get health insurance costs under some control. All three goals were met.

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