RUTLAND CITY LOCAL 1201 & BARRE TOWN LOCAL 1369 WORKERS RATIFY NEW CONTRACTS - RUTLAND RAISES 8.5%-13.5%, BARRE 10.25% + 3.75% BONUS
Last night in Vermont AFSCME Local 1201 members, DPW & City Hall workers in Rutland, ratified a new two year contract which provides fair raises. The Agreement, among other things, achieves the following:
* Total raises over two years ranging from 8.5% to 13.5%;
* Year one COLA of 5% effective October 1;
* Year two COLA of 3.5%;
* Condensed Step system for less senior DPW workers (which means those workers will see an additional raise of 5% during the life of the Agreement);
* $100 in Winter Storm Pay any time a worker mans a plow truck, the sidewalk tractor, or loader during OT hours for snow removal (this was in trade of abolishing the mandate for all trucks to include a wingman - Rutland was the last municipality in Vermont with mandatory riders in their previous CBA);
* Increase of shift differentials to .50 cents and .75 cents;
Local 1201 members have been bargaining with the City close to nine months, and their CBA expired on July 1. As of last week the Union and the City were close to ending mediation and moving further into the impasse procedures when the deal was finally struck. Throughout the bargaining process Union members remained united and refused to settle for anything less than a fair deal. And in the end their solidarity paid off.
Today AFSCME Local 1369 members in the Barre Town Department of Public Works also voted to ratify a new two year Contract. This one, in part, achieves:
* 6.25% raises year one retro to July 1;
* 1.75% bonus also in year one;
* Lowest paid worker (Laborer B, now paid over $20 an hour)
* 4% raises year two;
* 2% bonus year two;
* Night shift differential increases to .60 cents (up from .40 cents);
* Boot allowance increases from $160 to $180 in year one, and to $200 in year two;
* Abolition of the two tiered Vacation/Sick Leave/Personal Leave accrual system (now all workers, junior and senior, will accrue by the same schedule - except the senior members will still be eligible for a fifth week of vacation - something the Union will fight to get for everyone in the next Contract);
Like in Rutland, bargaining for Barre Town DPW workers was hard and fraught with challenges. Also like Rutland the Barre CBA expired on July 1. At times both Union groups looked like they were heading towards picket lines. But again Barre Town DPW workers stuck together and remained strong. And in the end they too achieved a solid new Union Contract.
Back this winter AFSCME had 15+ contracts in various stages of bargaining in Vermont, all with an expiration date of July 1, 2022 (or earlier). With the ratification of these two Contracts all have now been resolved in the Green Mountains.
The Vermont AFL-CIO congratulates AFSCME 1369, the Barre Town DPW Union Bargaining Team, AFSCME Local 1201, Local 1201 President Tom Franzoni, and AFSCME Rank & File members from both communities for winning fine Contracts and once again showing THERE IS POWER IN THE UNION!
-VT AFL-CIO
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up