Next Dominion Contract Bargaining Session Aug. 31; Employees Working Under Old Pact
TAMARACK — The estimated 50 to 60 Dominion Transmission Inc. union employees in the Tamarack/Renovo area are continuing to work under terms of a contract that expired April l of this year. Their union, United Gas Workers Union Local 69, says it has been told by the company there could be a lockout in the near future.
Meanwhile the next round of negotiations is scheduled for Aug. 31. The last talks occurred on July 15. A union release said its membership of 950 across six states voted down that offer by a 766 to 75 margin.
Union president Craig Bradford, based in Dellslow, WV, told therecord-online today there is a union belief the company is seeking temporary employees and called a lockout “a real possibility.” Meanwhile a company statement said Dominion is attempting to reach a settlement “fair to all parties.”
The Gas Workers local posted this release on its facebook page, dated Aug. 22:
“UGWU LOCAL 69 PRESS RELEASE” “DOMINON INDICATES IT MAY LOCKOUT 950 UGWU LOCAL 69 WORKERS” The United Gas Workers Union Local 69 is issuing an update concerning negotiations between UGWU Local 69, Dominion Hope Gas and Dominion Transmission Inc. The current labor agreement between the parties expired April 1, 2016 without an agreement being ratified. Both parties have continued to bargain since the expiration. The Company provided an offer to the Union in which the Local voted on and rejected 766 to 75. There have been no talks between the parties since a meeting on 7/15/2016. The Company has indicated clearly to the Union that it may lockout the unionized employees in the near future. “Management, Contractors and temporary workers cannot operate the facilities and pipelines as efficiently and safely as our unionized workforce. Local 69 employees are a highly trained, professional workforce who take great pride in performing their jobs and especially protecting the people and the public throughout Dominion’s operating area.”
Bradford said during the negotiations, “The union has continually had to fight attacks aimed directly at our current retirees and the new hired employees. The company has proposed damaging changes to retirement medical insurance for the members who have already retired and proposals to eliminate pensions and retiree medical insurance for newly hired workers.”
Contacted by therecord-online, Dominion issued a statement saying that based on recent union statements, the company needs “to be prepared for all contingencies.”
The text of the Dominion release from Frank Mack, DTI Communications Project Manager, is reprinted here:
“Dominion Transmission and Dominion Hope have been negotiating with Local 69 since February and for nearly 5 months since the current labor agreement expired. Both sides also have not met since July 15. We have asked the union to meet to resume negotiations, but they are not available until August 31.
“Our commitment is to ensure the continuation of safe and reliable service for our customers. Given the union’s unwillingness to negotiate and its recent public statements, we need to be prepared for all contingencies. We are increasingly concerned that with the heating season approaching, there is a growing risk of a surprise walkout just when our customers need us most – on the coldest days of the year.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to reach an agreement with Local 69 that is fair to all parties. That continues to be our top priority in these negotiations.
“Despite what you may hear, current retirees will not lose healthcare coverage. We will give Medicare-eligible retirees a stipend to buy coverage that best suits their needs rather than be forced into the existing one-size-fits-all plan.
“Nor are we eliminating pensions for new hires. Current employees will maintain their traditional pension coverage while new hires will get a fully-funded defined contribution cash balance pension plan and an enhanced 401(k) savings plan that better protects them if they change employers. This is what a majority of employees in America who have pensions have today.
“These also are the same benefits that apply for salaried employees at DTI and Dominion Hope, and other Dominion affiliates.
“In the end, we believe this is a question of fairness. Our employees certainly deserve a fair contract. And our customers deserve a contract that maintains a prudent and competitive cost structure.”
