Since our last bargaining update, your Bargaining Committee has completed 6 more days of bargaining. We have concentrated on all of the monetary issues.
There was a point during these six days where we were hopeful that a new collective agreement could be reached with fair wages and pension increases.
With the Employers latest Wage and Pension proposal we now know reaching a Collective Agreement today is impossible.
They have over the Term of our agreement; offered 4.25% in wages.
They have over the Term of our agreement; offered a Pension increase of $1 dollar.
The only benefit increase they have offered is to maintain our Weekly Indemnity payment to 70% of Job Class 4 effective August 1, 2011.
They have restored our C.O.L.A CLAUSE. SORT OF! They will pay C.O.L.A as they have in the past but they refuse to roll the COLA into the Collective Bargaining Agreement at the end of its term.
They have refused to provide our retires one half of a cent per hour, to fund the SOAR Chapter
We have tried to reach an agreement that we as your Bargaining Committee could recommend for acceptance. We are not close enough to consider that kind of recommendation.
We are in the process of looking at our options we will be in touch very soon.
In Solidarity
Your Bargaining committee