Two unions merge with CWA - Communications Workers of America, International Typographical Union, United Telegraph Workers

Monthly Labor Review, Feb, 1987

Two unions merge with CWA

The Communications Workers of America experienced sudden growth in recent months, as the 70,000 member International Typographical Union (ITU) and the 5,800 member United Telegraph Workers union merged into the CWA, bringing its membership to about 600,000. Given that 10,000 of the ITU members are located in Canada, the CWA announced that it was changing its name to the Communications Workers of North America.

The ITU became the Printing, Publishing and Media Workers Sector within the CWA. The sector is headed by ITU President Robert S. McMichen, who, along with other ITU officers, won a new 3-year term in an election conducted with the merger balloting. At the end of the term, the number of officers leading the new unit will be reduced to three, from five. Effective immediately, pay for all five officers and staff members in the sector was frozen until other officers and staff members attain equality.

The ITU agreement ended the union's 4-year search for a merger that began in 1983 when ITU members rejected a proposed merger with the Newspaper Guild, followed by their rejection of a proposed 1985 merger with the Teamsters. In 1985, the Graphic Communications union rejected a proposed merger with the ITU, although negotiations were resumed early in 1986.

The Telegraph Workers, the other union merging into the CWA, also will retain its leaders and organization within the CWA. In addition to approving the merger, delegates to a Telegraph Workers convention also reaffirmed earlier decisions calling for elimination of the secretary, treasurer, and vice president posts and elimination of two of five regional units.

The Telegraph Workers--CWA merger agreement contains an "escape clause' permitting the Telegraph Workers to terminate the partnership during the first 3 years.

Meat processors end strike

A 2-month strike against the FDL Foods, Inc. meat processing plant in Dubuque, IA, ended when members of Food and Commercial Workers Local 150A approved a 3-year contract. Terms were similar to those negotiated by Local 1218 for 550 employees of the company's plant in Rochelle, IL, where the stoppage ended 10 days earlier.

At Dubuque, the $8 an hour base pay rate will be raised by a total of $1.05 over the term, including 50 cents retroactive to the August 27 expiration date of the prior contract. A profit-sharing plan also was continued.

At Rochelle, employees chose to forgo profit sharing in return for larger hourly wage increases, totaling $1.25.

Keebler gives lump-sum and pay increases

Keebler Co., the Nation's second largest cookie and biscuit producer, settled with the Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers for 3,500 workers at six plants. Under the 2-year contract, all workers received an immediate $1,000 lump-sum payment and maintenance workers also received a 10.5-cent hourly wage increase. In the second year, maintenance workers will receive a 60-cent increase and other employees will receive 50 cents. After these increases, pay rates will range from $11.97 for "general help' and $12.60 for mixers and machine operators to $14.55 for electricians.

For workers retiring after 25 years' service or with age and service totaling 80 or more, the monthly pension benefit was raised to $675, from $650, on December 1, 1986, and to $700 a year later. Other terms included a 2.5-cent hourly increase in shift premiums, to 20 cents for the third shift and 17.5 cents for the second shift; a $10 increase in sickness and accident benefits, to $150 a week; and a $4,000 increase in accidental death or dismemberment insurance, to $15,000.

The contract, running to October 31, 1988, covers operations in Atlanta and Macon, GA, Grand Rapids, MI, Denver, CO, Cincinnati, OH, and Van Nuys, CA.

A&P contract calls for five wage increases

In the New York City--northern New Jersey area, 10,000 employees of 173 Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. stores were covered by a contract negotiated by the United Food and Commercial Workers. Over the 3-year term, full-time employees will receive five wage increases totaling $80 to $95 a week, varying by job classification. The resulting rates will be $695 a week for meat department heads, $641 for top-rated meat cutters, and $526 for clerks. Part-time employees received increases in the top rate totaling $1.25 an hour, bringing their hourly pay to $9.01.

Full-time employees age 65 with at least 35 years' service who retire after November 30, 1988, will receive a maximum pension of $700 a month, up from about $600. For part-timers, the maximum pension will increase to $210 a month, from $87.

The contract also established a drug and alcohol abuse program, extended the legal services plan to part-time employees, and reduced the Sunday premium pay to double time from double time and one-half, effective April 24, 1988.

Boeing settles with professional engineers

More than 24,000 employees of Boeing Co. were covered by a 3-year contract negotiated by the Seattle (WA) Professional Engineering Employees Association, but 2,000 members of the Wichita (KS) Enginering Association rejected similar terms.