Bargaining trends: gains in 1984; prospects for 1985

AFL-CIO American Federationist, The, March 30, 1985 by Neil Gladstein

At GM's Packard Electric Division, the Electronic Workers (IUE) won lifetime job and income security "forever" which does not end when the contract expires. Workers can be furloughed only for a maximum of six months. When workers exhaust unemployment insurance and SUB payments they must be recalled.

In New York, the Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) in negotiations with the Associated Fur Manufacturers won a guaranteed 30 weeks of employment per year in exchange for the employers' right to subcontract during the three-month busy season.

Other job security guarantees include a no-layoff promise for the life of the contract for SEIU members at Equitable Life, a no-layoff due to subcontracting commitment to Newspaper Guild members at Consumers Union, and an income security program negotiated by the UAW with Mack Trucks that gives workers the same guarantees against layoffs as in the GM and Ford pacts and creates a job bank.

The ability of management unilaterally to make plant-closing or outsourcing decisions ws limited in some contracts. For example, in Detroit, Kroger Co. guaranteed the UFCW that 40 of its 45 reopened food stores will stay open for at least three years. In six different states, the UFCW got a no-plant-closing commitment from the George A. Hormel Company. At Ford, the UAW won a three-year moratorium on plant closings. Both Ford and GM guaranteed the UAW 60 days' notice of any outsourcing decisions that affect 25 or more workers. At Mack Trucks, the UAW got a promise of a three-year moratorium on any new plant-closing decisions. In soft coal negotiations, the Mine Workers won job security clauses from the Bituminous Coal Operations Association which include advance notification of intention to sell a mine with proof that the buyer will honor the labor contract, no loss of bidding rights if a mine is subleased, and justification whenever mine owners subcontract repairs or maintenance work. The Retail, Wholesale & Dept. Store Union will get a 45-day advance notification of plant closing from Del Monte. And the Sheet Metal Workers in negotiations with the Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National Association won an employer guarantee not to open, operate, or become involved with a nonunion company. In exchange, the workers promised not to work for nonunion contractors or open competing businesses.

In auto negotiations, the UAW also created Business Venture Development Groups to work with JOB Security committees. Venture Development is aimed at helping communities hit by job losses to develop and attract new businesses with hiring preference given to displaced auto workers. The union also won commitments from GM and Ford to continue investing in American production facilities. including GM's new small car, "Saturn."

For auto workers being laid-off or transferred, GM and Ford both agreed to improve unemployment benefits and transfer payments. The auto companies increased funding of the Guaranteed Income Stream (GIS) and Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB) programs. GIS, which was set up in 1982, pays laid-off employees who have 15 years of service once they have exhausted their SUBs. They will receive GIS payments until they return to work or reach retirement age or until the program runs out of funds. The relocation allowance for employees being transferred to another plant within the company was also increased. The allowance now ranges from a low of $580 for a single person moving 50-99 miles to $2,310 for married employees moving 1,000 miles or more