Con Ed Works It Out With Local 1-2

After all the bluster and drama over the last week, Con Ed and their main union, the Local 1-2, worked out a deal to satisfy both sides. The workers were set to strike as of midnight but the deal got done after hours anyways. This is definitely a good thing for everyone that counts on Con Edison's power and from what we can tell so far, a great thing for the people that keep the utility humming.

From WCBS-TV:

Joe Flaherty, a spokesman for the Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, said that the two sides negotiated a range of issues, including wages, safety and health care.

One of the major sticking points for the union—Con Edison's proposal to switch from traditional pensions to a 401(K)-style plan for new employees—was tabled by the utility "at the 11th hour," Flaherty said.

"I think they fully understood that this union and its members would not stand for a change in their long traditional pension," Flaherty said. The union represents about two-thirds of Con Edison's 14,000 employees.

Con Edison spokesman Michael Clendenin did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Wednesday.

So while we don't know the pay structure, the fact that Con Ed caved on trying to privatize the pension system was a huge boon for Union members that count on that for their retirement. While Wall Street may cry over a few lost dollars in transactions, it is comforting to know that the pension system will remain the same and stay as reliable as they have been for generations. Score a victory for the Local 1-2!

Con Ed-Union Deadlock Now Going Til Wednesday

This weekend the Governor took it upon himself to stand between Con Edison and Local 1-2 of the UWUA to avert a strike of more than 9,000 members that help the power grid of New York City humming. The workers were set to walk out at 12am yesterday, but now the two sides are still at the bargaining table....until Wednesday at midnight. The question is, will the proposals be amenable to both sides?

From WCBS-TV:

Gov. David Paterson intervened late Saturday in negotiations between Consolidated Edison and the union representing almost two-thirds of the utility's work force just minutes before the midnight deadline for a possible strike expired and persuaded both sides to agree to a "cooling off period," a spokesman for the governor said.

Negotiations were suspended early Sunday and were scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield said. Cockfield said the governor had been monitoring the talks while recovering at his Manhattan home from surgery Saturday morning to remove a cataract.

Paterson, concerned about the impact of possible service disruptions on customers created by a strike during the summer, reached out by telephone to Con Edison chief executive Kevin Burke and Harry Farrell, president of the Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, Cockfield said.

Well now that Paterson has publicly intervened, what will he do to avoid another impasse by tomorrow night? Con Ed figuratively slapped the union in the face with a 0.5% increase (followed by 1% increases down the road) and it took them quite a bit of time to come up with that. Will the Governor (or is he actively) working on getting the regulated utility to pay workers a wage that is more in line with what the union wants to see? We're waiting and we'll get a better picture of it all when the two sides get back to the table tomorrow morning.

Con Edison Spits In Their Union Workers' Faces

Well, not literally phlegm, but their offer certainly felt like it. Con Edison, after stalling in their talks with the Utility Workers Union, they decided on giving the thousands that keep New York City humming a pitiful excuse for a raise. As union leaders said, the deal is just "asinine."

From The Gothamist:

Thousands of Con Ed employees may be striking tomorrow, if the utility keeps up their act. Joe Flaherty, spokesman for the Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America, said of Con Ed's 0.5% base raise, "They want us to strike, no doubt about it. Half a percent, followed by 1% in the years after that, is just asinine."

Flaherty says the union made their wage proposal on June 18, "After 12 today (noon yesterday), nine days later and with 36 hours to go, they gave us a proposal. That means they're not showing any serious intention to bargain." He says his members are ready to picket various Con Ed properties, including offices and substations. The union has also filed an "Unfair Labor Practice" charge with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming Con Ed is "bargaining in bad faith" (PDF).

However, Con Ed tells the Journal News, "We continue to negotiate in good faith with the union leadership and are working to agree on a new contract that is fair and equitable for our employees. In the interests of respecting the process, we will not discuss details of our talks." The contract is up early tomorrow; the last time Con Ed employees went on strike was in 1983.

It sounds like this strike is set to go and for some odd reason, Con Ed wants to bring it on. The offer they made is insulting, way worse than the insults thrown my way by a certain engineer at Con Ed (see my last post for the wonderful words of Bill). Con Edison's negotiators wouldn't know good faith if it slapped them repeatedly in the face. Union workers have every right to go on strike until Con Ed wakes up and treats their workers with respect.