BULLETIN 21
May 24, 2007
Negotiations resumed today at 9:00 A.M. with the entire morning session devoted to subcommittee meetings regarding ABC's apprenticeship program proposal and ABC's sick leave proposal.
In the afternoon session, discussions again turned to the Company's proposal to effectuate layoffs without regard to seniority. Members of the Union Bargaining Committee continued to press ABC representatives on the devastating, arbitrary, and subjective nature of this proposal.
Later in the session, the Union presented modifications to proposals on Daily Hire scheduling and Daily Hire holidays, and withdrew a proposal on the annual Daily Hire cap calculation.
ABC presented a series of modifications to proposals concerning the regular workday and the calculation of overtime. ABC is no longer seeking a nine hour workday with an unpaid meal period for locations other than San Francisco. ABC is now proposing retaining an eight hour workday while excluding meal periods as time worked for overtime calculation purposes at these locations.
The Company also presented a counterproposal on Section 10.3, concerning night shift differential vacation payments.
Finally, in response to an initial Union proposal concerning benefits for Daily Hire employees, ABC submitted a new Sideletter proposal which would provide most of the Company's Signature Plan benefits to eligible Daily Hires on an experimental basis during the term of the new Master Agreement. ABC estimates that approximately 125 current Daily Hires would have the option of electing these benefits under the Company's eligibility formula.
Talks adjourned for the day at 5 P.M. Negotiations are scheduled to resume at 9 A.M. on Friday, May 25th.
The Union Bargaining Committee reminds all members to ignore rumors. All official negotiation and mobilization information will be delivered on the Sector website at www.abc-contract.info. Please also check Local websites, hotlines, and e-mail for additional information.
NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee
For an archive of all bulletins, go to www.abc-contract.info/barg_mobe/.
