Local 799
Has Productive
Meeting with
State Representative
DELAWARE, Ohio
State Representative Jon Peterson met with members of
UE Local 799 employed by Delaware City Schools at the May membership meeting
and promised to intervene in an ongoing dispute with the employer. Local 799
Pres. Nina Williams and Vice Pres. Shirley Thrush had met with
Peterson’s aide during the UE political action day in Columbus Feb. 17.
UE members were pleased to learn that Peterson joins them in
strong opposition to any efforts at privatizing the State Employees Retirement
System (SERS).
Nina Williams and Trustee Jerry Miller joined other
members in telling Peterson about their employer’s efforts to thwart the
contract by refusing to pay the guaranteed step wage increases. This refusal
has forced the union to sue the employer in court; the employer is spending
far more on fighting the union than the cost of wage increases. Meanwhile,
Shirley Thrush and others explained that the employer waged a strong
anti-union campaign when the workers decided to organize. The employer is
simply continuing its anti-union campaign by refusing to abide by the
contract, Thrush pointed out.
In response, Peterson agreed to contact the employer’s
attorney and attempt to get some settlement talks going.
Although he did not seem overly concerned about globalization
and the loss of manufacturing jobs, UE Local 799 was pleased to have
Representative Peterson at the union meeting. Both the union and Peterson
expressed a hope that this was the beginning of a productive relationship.
UE News - 07/00
