In our November 4th bargaining session, the company tentatively agreed to our proposal on Bargaining Unit Work, securing important protections for our jobs and hours. The company also made major concessions on Management Rights, allowing us to get a Tentative Agreement on an article that had remained outstanding for almost 3 years in bargaining. Additionally, the company came down on their proposed contract duration, much closer to our position of a May 1st, 2028 contract expiration. These are major concessions, and evidence that our strike escalation is working.
However, the company’s offer on wages continues to be well below the rate of inflation, and they continue to insist on take-backs to health insurance eligibility and cost. It’s imperative that we hold strong, and continue to fight for a fair contract with livable wages, equitable working conditions, and quality healthcare for all of us!
Voting to authorize a strike will continue this escalation, and will help the Bargaining Committee negotiate a fair contract for ratification by December 4th. The company stated today that the gap between our wage proposals was only $3.3 million in first-year costs - a trivial expense when compared against the profit this company makes from our labor, and the potential cost of a strike. If the company so chooses, they can settle this contract now and prevent a costly strike. In the meantime, we must continue to organize a strong strike threat to win the wages and benefits we deserve.
Strike authorization will close on November 14th - see your email for a ballot from OpaVote. Please vote yes to give the Bargaining Committee the leverage necessary to win our demands!
We have additional bargaining dates scheduled for November 19th and December 4th. Our next membership meeting is Thursday, November 6th, where we will be electing the Member Support Committee and doing important work to prepare our strike machinery. All members are encouraged to attend, RSVP here
Made in Solidarity Tech