Labor Briefing

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• 2000 UAW Kohler plumbing fixture workers in Sheboygan County, Wis., re­ turned to work the week before Christ­ mas after a 32-day strike. It was marked by strong solidarity among unions and in the community (see photo at right).

Although less than 20 percent of the membership would have benefited, the biggest issue was the union’s push to eliminate a divisive two-tier wage struc­ ture that had been reluctantly agreed to five years ago when new construction had bottomed out. The union failed to win that objective but did substantially narrow the gap.

Tier B gets a hefty $4.70 an hour in rais­ es over four years. Most Tier A workers will get $2 raises. There were improve­ ments in pensions and relatively little “cost sharing” for health benefits. At a hastily called meeting, 1847 workers ratified the agreement with a 91 percent “yes” vote. Though Wisconsin is an openshop “right-to-work” state, only 22 scabs crossed the line.

• Also shortly before the holidays, the United Steelworkers announced a ten­ tative agreement for 18,000 workers at US Steel—though no details have been revealed at our deadline. Some 13,000 USW members at Arcelor Mittal contin­ ue to work under conditions of a contract that expired in June while negotiating for a new agreement.

In the other major national steel negotiations, Allegh­ eny Technologies Inc. has locked out 2200 workers in six states as they go for dra­ conian takebacks. These in­ clude pension cutbacks for present workers and freez­ ing new hires out of the pen­ sion plan.

Health insurance would go from zero out of pocket expense to a $215 a month premium and a $400 annual deductible. And ATI demanded the right to fill vacan­ cies through attrition with outside con­ tractors that would be excluded from the bargaining unit.

The company has brought in profes­ sional strikebreakers to partially run their specialty metals production, along with management employees. On Dec. 18, the Pittsburgh regional office of the National Labor Relations Board upheld union Unfair Labor Practice charges of bad faith bargaining. Unless overturned on appeal, this means scabs could not permanently replace locked-out work­ ers. It also entitles workers to eligibil­ ity for unemployment benefits in all six states.

• After going 10 years without a raise, adjunct faculty at Hamline University in St. Paul voted in June 2014 to be repre­ sented by Service Employees Interna­ tional Union Local 284. Nearly 18 months later, they have a tentative agreement for a first contract. Highlights reported on raises for all, with the majority getting a bump of 15 percent for the spring se­ mester. Base pay will increase 20 per­ cent in the 2017-18 fiscal year. There’s additional compensation for longevity and curriculum development.

• Also from Workday Minnesota, date­ lined Dec. 21: “Hundreds of janitors and security officers who clean and protect buildings throughout the Twin Cities and their supporters marched through Minneapolis skyways Monday to ramp up their campaign for a fair contract that begins to close racial and economic dis­ parities.” The workers are represented by SEIU Local 26.

• At our deadline, AFSCME clerical workers at the University of Minnesota were voting on a tentative agreement retroactive to June 2015 that would pro­ vide two annual general wage increases of 1.5 percent, no changes in health in­ surance, six weeks of paid leave for birth mothers, and a $15 minimum wage.

• Registration is now open for the bien­ nial Labor Notes Conference being held in Chicago, April 1-3. The last conference in 2014 attracted over 2000 labor activ­ ists from around the country—and the world. Information is available at labor­ notes.org/conference. n SOCIALIST ACTION JANUARY 2016 3

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Yong Kim / Philadelphia Inquirer