More Respect, Bigger
Wage Increase
For UE Members
At Wright
State University
FAIRBORN, Ohio
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|
UE Local 792 members celebrate
their third UE Contract
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|
Smoother negotiations, no concessions, a number of gains in
contract protection, wages and benefits, including a new paid holiday: all in
all, good news for UE Local 792 members, food service employees of Sodexho/Marriott
at Wright State University.
Wages are increased by $1.26 over three years.
"It turned out better than we expected it to, but we
fought hard for it," comments Local Pres. Gwen Talbert.
"This is the largest raise we have ever got,"
Talbert says. "In my years with Wright State, we have never before got
over a dollar — we’ve never got a dollar."
THIRD CONTRACT
Negotiations for the third UE contract at Wright State were
markedly improved over the 18-month long struggle that finally yielded a
contract three years ago. Union persistence in those negotiations and success
in a recent arbitration case gave management a new attitude. "They had
more respect," Talbert says.
New language states that if an employee is consistently
working in a classification, he or she will be given the highest rate of pay,
which shall be considered a permanent pay upgrade. This corrects an employer
practice of combining jobs at the lower pay grade.
Straight seniority replaces seniority plus qualifications for
most jobs in layoffs and recalls; straight seniority replaces seniority plus
"ability to hold the position" with respect to job awards. Employees
may now bid on jobs on preferred shifts. Those whose hours have been reduced
now have the right to bump into a job with more hours.
During a reduction in hours, managers and non-bargaining unit
personnel are strictly prohibited form doing bargaining unit work — a
necessary correction to an employer practice. And the employer must offer any
additional work to current employees to give them a full workweek.
MORE GAINS
Sodexho workers will not get less than seven hours’ holiday
pay; during reduction in hours the employer had based holiday pay on the
shorter hours. And they will no longer have to fight for holiday pay for
layoffs during the Christmas and spring breaks — new language guarantees
holiday pay for that layoff period.
Employees who quit or are on permanent layoff will now get
paid for all unused personal days and sick days; those who are fired will also
get paid for unused sick days. The contract also provides for payment of
vacation if an employee leaves or is separated from employment for any reason,
including discharge.
The UE members gain Martin Luther King Day as a new holiday in
the third year of the contract.
Workers will be paying a smaller monthly contribution
for insurance in each year. And the employer will pay the full cost of
insurance during an employee absence caused by an on-the-job injury. Temporary
disability insurance will be increased by $40 a week by the end of the
agreement.
The UE Local 792 committee consisted of Pres. Gwen Talbert,
Vice Pres. Betty Dawson, Rec. Sec. Joan Van Zant, Fin. Sec. Ima
Turner, Chief Steward Dwight Thomas and Linda Hunter. They
were assisted by UE Intl. Rep. Dennis Painter.
UE News - 07/00
