New Haven Independent

Yale Workers Set to Ratify Historic Contract

by Melissa Bailey | April 13, 2009 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

In nearly 30 years at Yale, Ken Jones has stuck it out through five strikes. He plans to avoid another one by voting “yes” Tuesday on a new contract — nine months before the current one expires.

Jones (pictured), who’s 58, works in the Commons cafeteria on Yale’s campus. Tuesday afternoon, he and other members of Locals 34 and 35 of the Federation of University Employees are will gather to vote on a new three-year contract.

The early agreement, especially in a tough economy, is being seen as a breakthrough in labor relations at Yale, which struggled through seven strikes in a 34-year period ending in 2003. Click here for a background story.

“It’s one of the best contracts I’ve seen,” said Jones, who started working at Yale in 1980. The deal will largely extend the existing contract another three years. Jones, who’s in Local 35, said he’s encouraging his coworkers to vote for it.

“I’ve been through five strikes, and they’re not pretty,” he explained, speaking on a recent lunch break between bites of a Klondike Bar.

Local 34 represents 3,300 office workers on campus. Local 35 represents about 1,300 blue-collar employees including custodians and dining hall workers.

The last time their contracts came up, in 2003, Jones spent weeks on a picket line, one during a snowy New England winter. Since then, he said a new method of problem-solving has repaired what was considered one of the country’s worst campus labor relations.

Jones, a general service assistant in the Yale dining halls, is one of 12 members of a joint labor-management committee that formed as a result of the last contract negotiations. The so-called “best practices committee” met every two weeks, he said, to hash out day-to-day workplace issues and build trust.

The committee was able to address some issues on the spot, instead of letting problems fester until the end of the contract.

“The little problems we had, we ironed out,” said Jones.

For example, Jones said, a few years ago, dining hall workers were struggling with short-staffed crews. The workers serve three meals a day, seven days a week. The nature of the job doesn’t leave much wiggle room to leave tasks to another day.

“We’re under pressure,” he explained. “When people want to eat, they want to eat now.”

Jones and the union brought the issue to the committee. Yale listened, he said: Over the course of several years, Yale doubled its team of food service workers from about 200 to nearly 400. Now, he said, the food lines are running smoothly.

Two fellow dining hall workers brimmed with enthusiasm about the new contract.

“I’m extremely happy about it,” said Alex Alford, taking a smoke break behind Yale’s Pierson College dining hall. Alford, who has five years on the job, said he was worried about a strike — or worse — come January.

“In this economy, there is no job security,” he said. “So I guess we have one of the best contracts in the nation.”

“I’m pretty thrilled with the union,” he said. “They fight real hard for us.”

He said he was especially pleased to hear that he would still get a pay raise, and that he’d be guaranteed no layoffs for another three years. Union officials declined to discuss these details until Tuesday, though people familiar with the negotiations have said the deal will largely extend the existing contract, which includes a job-protection clause.

Alford was also pleased to hear that Yale has agreed to create more union jobs at Yale’s new West Haven campus for Locals 34 and 35. The news has been previously announced; it is expected to be codified in the new contract.

News of the contract brought a broad smile to 42-year-old Kenny Bush’s face.

“We love it! We love it!” said Bush (pictured), who works at the Trumbull College dining hall.

“We have job security: That’s the main thing,” said the father of 2-year-old twins. “We don’t have to worry about being on the street, and having to struggle and survive. We have a job. Thank God for that.”

Yale is New Haven’s biggest employer. At the latest count, the city’s unemployment rate stood at 10.6 percent.

A custodial worker named Ken, hauling trash behind the Yale Law School, said he wasn’t familiar enough with the contract to make up his mind yet. But he did take hope in Yale and the unions’ early deal.

“The economy is the key thing,” he said. With people losing their jobs across the nation, Yale and the unions “have got to come together to some kind of agreement.”

A woman in Local 34 said she and her coworkers are glad to have reached such an early deal, especially in light of the recession.

“Most staff that I’ve talked to are relieved that we have a better relationship with the university,” she said. “With a signed contract comes the relief of not having to face a strike in January.”

Union members learned the details of the plans during meetings last week. They are expected to vote on Tuesday in two sessions: Local 35 at 5 p.m. at the Center Church on the Green; Local 34 at 5:30 p.m. at Yale’s Battell Chapel.

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Comments

Posted by: elmcityguy | April 13, 2009 9:36 AM

"The last time their contracts came up, in 2003, Jones spent 10 weeks chanting on a picket line during a cold New England winter"

This part is incorrect. There was a 1 week strike in March of 03, and it was pretty freaking cold that week with lots of snow, but we went back in to work with no contract until August of 03, when we went back out on strike, settling after about 4 weeks, give or take a couple of days.

[Ed: correction made.]

Posted by: Borist | April 13, 2009 11:02 PM

Hey great job by locals 34-35 and yale for getting this done.It really is nice to see both sides willing to listen to one another needs."The committee was able to address some issues on the spot, instead of letting problems fester until the end of the contract." Now if only King John and his henchmen could learn from this situation.Really look around everyone else can get together to come up with a compromise.I say we bring in yale management to do negotiations with the city Unions I am willing to bet they will get it done.King John and his silly labor relations team what a sad sad situation.

Posted by: Ralph Ferrucci | April 13, 2009 11:55 PM

You are right elmcityguy about it being cold but if I remember it right it was in Feb. not march of 03.

I spent that week on the lines supporting your cause.

Happy to see an agreement may be found between the Unions and Yale.
Ralph Ferrucci

Posted by: r f g | April 14, 2009 8:09 AM

I'm happy for local 35. They secured a great contract. The story is very misleading though. Local 34 does NOT get a raise next year, will only get 2% each of the following 2 years for a total of 4% vrs local 35's 8%.

In addition, local 34 will have substantial layoffs,(local 35 have a 3 year no layoff clause) will source out jobs and new hires get a diminished recess benefit.(not sure how they are working this - unfortunately no specifics have been given on this or the perscription benefit change.

So, I'm happy for Local 35 but it seems like local 34 just didn't try - the improved layoff benefits are because there will be layoffs (unlike 35)and as far as new opportunities for advancement, that is really a TBD wishlist - not a concrete benefit for all.

I'm disappointed that they are settling 9 months erly when they have plenty of time to discuss things before the contract period ends.

Yale is a great place to work but if one union can get a raise, why can't they both?

I wish the author would have presented the entire picture and contracted the two contracts. It is very misleading for the local 34 union membership.

Thank you

Posted by: elmcityguy | April 14, 2009 10:07 AM

Ralph,

Maybe it was Feb, it was a while ago. I actually was on a few of the same lines as you and have talked to you about it down at Rudy's before.

RFG,

There is indeed a wage freeze in year one, but combined with the step increases in years 2-3, the raises will work out to 3-4% depending on where one falls in the steps. Local 35 are more active and really get things done as a group, whereas Local 34 doesn't have the union die hards like 35 does. Thats why 35 is able to get things like no lay off clauses. Are you an employee? You should have had the script benefit explained to you by one of your reps if you are. No more co-insurance & deductible, it will be the exact same prescription benefit as Aetna's plan offers, copays of $ 5/20/30 for a months supply and if you use the mail in pharmacy you will get a 100 day supply for the regular copay.

It isn't perfect and I know I wish i was getting a raise in 2010, but I was on the team that did the surveys a few months back, and at least where I am, people were more interested in health care costs and NOT pushing too hard for a raise if it meant losing other things in order to get them.

Settling 9 months early, to me, is great, I don't have to worry about Yale using delay and scare tactics. They are totally fair in negotiations, I don't resent Yale for using them at all, but I think we'd lose more than we'd gain in settling later.

Posted by: C O L | April 14, 2009 2:51 PM

I agree with RFG on this. I feel it's too soon to settle this. I think people are blinded by the relief of there not being a strike and are missing some key points to all this.

First, we have not gotten thorough details of this contract. We were only told a rough overview and are now expected to vote on something we have not seen on paper. I do not consider this to be Best Practices. Yes, there may be a written piece to read tonight but it would have been nice to have something last week to really be able to vote knowledgeably.

Second, there are actually quite a few changes; this is not a continuation of our current contract. New hires have, in my view, lost quite a bit. Are their losses indicative of future contracts? There are changes to healthcare we should be paying very close attention to. (Note that Yale wants more members in the Plan.)

Third, raises. Yes, raises, or rather no raises. Next year no raise and for 2 years after that a 2.5% (not 3 as ElmCityGuy stated) to 4%, depending on if you have any steps left. If you don't, you get the 2.5%. Do we know where the economy and Yale will be in a year? 2 years? No, we don't. Is there something in this contract protecting us if there's an economic turn around and increase the raises to the standard of living? Not as far as I know and I highly doubt it.

Fourth, there is absolutely no job security for 34. None. R F G is right on this one, "the improved layoff benefits are because there will be layoffs". I kept hearing "increased job security" during the meeting I attended but there truly is none.

The meetings last week weren't about educating union members; they were about "solidarity" and standing behind the unions to show Yale how strong we are. Let's have a big turnout! And shhhhhh...don't tell anyone what's in the contract. We want the unions and Yale to look really strong and united after the ratification.

Looks to me like both Yale and the unions have used the economy to get this one through. Time will tell where this leaves us.

Yale Workers Set to Ratify Historic Contract

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