Commercial Glaziers Strike After Rejecting Agreement Recommended for Ratification by Union Leadership
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) July 06, 2016 -- The collective bargaining agreement between the Commercial Glaziers represented by IUPAT DC#5 Local 188 and the Western Washington Glass Contractors Multi-Employer Group expired June 30, 2016. The parties have been in bargaining since May, 2016, meeting 7 times, including a full day session with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on June 29, 2016. The parties reached an agreement at the end of the mediation session which was recommended for ratification by the Union and the Union bargaining committee. However, on June 30, the Union membership voted to reject the Employers’ offer and instead chose to go on strike, beginning July 1, 2016.
The Employer Group made a fair and substantive offer, as evidenced by the Union Committee’s recommendation, and the fact that the offer was in line with, or greater than, the settlements of most other trades in our region. Specifically, the Employer Group proposed an increase amounting to an additional $8.50 per hour over four years, bringing the hourly package (which includes full family medical coverage and pension contributions) to $64.66 by July 1, 2019. This would mean that by 2019, an average full time glazier, before overtime, would receive a wage and benefit package equaling $130,000.00 per year.
The Group is hopeful that an agreement will be reached quickly and the work stoppage will end. The parties will be meeting with Federal Mediators later this week.
Mara Vinnedge, Archbright, http://www.archbright.com, +1 (206) 664-7180, [email protected]
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