After Years in Contract Limbo, a Payoff for
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Employees at Veolia Energy’s Philadelphia plant perform electrical, welding, meter maintenance and operational duties. The Local 614 members recently won their first bargaining contract after more than three years of struggle. |
“People around the plant were optimistic and eager to see what the future held,” said Deal, who has logged nearly two decades at the utility.
That was three years ago. Since then, company foot-dragging, arbitrary meeting schedules and stalling tactics tested the mettle of the 50-member unit as negotiators worked toward securing a first bargaining agreement.
But unity and dedication paid off in early October when members voted overwhelmingly for a contract that included an immediate 6-percent base wage increase, 3-percent annual wage increases, performance bonuses, increased pension contributions and other gains for the life of the three-year contract.
The 39-2 vote was validation for Deal and his co-workers’ efforts. Deal, a control room operator, said:
I’d often work a 12-hour shift and go in on my day off to do negotiations for as many as five hours. That wears on you after a while. Some start to wonder if it’s worth it. During the process, a couple of people left the company. But the vast majority of us hung together to get this done. We didn’t forget why we entered this process to begin with.
IBEW International Representative Paul Simon said the strong vote was emblematic of the unit’s faith in the negotiating committee, which also included Veolia employees Mike Lambert and Joe Mello. Said Simon:
Any time you have a negotiation drag on for this long, it’s usually beneficial for the company, but not the workers. What we saw at Veolia was a tremendous effort by hardworking members. I can’t give them enough credit. They really helped pushed it past the finish line.
The contract covers welders, electricians, meter maintenance workers and operators at the utility, which provides steam, chilled water and gas-powered electricity services to hundreds of clients in the metro area, including hospitals, universities, police stations and public buildings.
One of the principal challenges workers had been facing was the constant turnover of management and ownership. In the years leading up to the organizing drive and negotiations, the utility had been managed by Johnson Controls, Trigen, and finally Veolia. With every sale to a new owner, Deal said, workers gradually lost ground:
When we first started talking about joining the union, one of our main concerns was that we just wanted things on paper. With the utility changing hands every two or three years, we were nervous. Each time we got sold, we lost more.
But with the signing of a contract comes added bonuses, including increased workplace safety. An example of this was when Deal went to management to speak about removing asbestos in some areas of the plant, which was built in 1902. He said:
In the past, the company might have told me to keep my mouth shut, but instead we had a certified asbestos removal company come in and take care of it. The backing we have from our union leadershiphelped us get to the bottom of the problem, and I feel supported now when I raise my voice about potential hazards at the plant.
International Representative Simon expressed appreciation to the IBEW team – which also included Lead Organizer Joe Mastrogiovanni, Local 614 Business Manager Emil Meyer, former Local 614 President John Brown, Local 614 Vice President Jack Leahan and International Representative Brian Brennan. Special thanks were also extended to former Local 614 member Rick Baynton, who now works for B.L. Power Plant as an Atlantic City, N.J., Local 210 member. Said Simon:
We couldn’t have gotten this done without the collective efforts of so many dedicated people. This negotiation is the poster child for why the organizing labor laws in the U.S. are broken and need revamping. No one should have to wait three years to see their organizing vote come to fruition.
