GLCCD Attempts to Disguise Concessions and Push Past Outstanding Non-Economic Issues
In an effort to focus the day’s discussions and move along negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, Teamsters Local 727 opened today’s bargaining session with Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution, Inc., a subsidiary of Reyes Holdings, by presenting the Company, yet again, with a comprehensive summary of all remaining non-economic issues.
Among the Union’s outstanding proposals are demands for the inclusion of new contract language that limits the Company’s ability to alter drivers’ routes and eliminates the mixed mode distribution system. Additionally, the Union bargaining committee continues to push for changes to current contract language in order to limit what the Company may label as a “breakdown” and, in turn, prevent GLCCD from using any excuse they can think of to force employees to work past their shifts.
Despite the Union’s good faith efforts to advance negotiations, GLCCD again wasted the day making no substantive movement and presenting no real counterproposals to Local 727’s proposals.
“GLCCD’s avoidance of the outstanding non-economic issues and attempt to deceive the Union bargaining committee is outrageous,” said John Coli, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. “If GLCCD can screw around with routes, any raise to drivers’ commissions is meaningless.”
GLCCD representatives did present the Union bargaining committee with a regressive proposal to alter the workweek in such a way that Sunday evening work would be compensated as straight-time. Atrociously, GLCCD attempted to pull one over on their employees today by disguising this ridiculous proposal as a “clean-up” of current contract language. Despite the Company’s proposal being a clear step backwards, GLCCD representatives refused to acknowledge the “clean-up” was a concession.
In addition to ignoring their employees’ concerns and attempting to distract the Union bargaining committee, GLCCD management attempted today to push past non-economics and demanded the Union explain its Day 1 health care proposal, despite the fact that the Company has yet to present its own health care proposal.
The Local 727 bargaining committee agreed to take the time to craft a comprehensive and detailed summary of members’ health care concerns—despite the Company not having yet provided the Union with all requested health care information—under the condition that GLCCD reply to each and every one of the Union’s outstanding non-economic proposals.
GLCCD opened the afternoon’s bargaining by patting itself on the back and listing all of the “Union proposals” the Company has agreed to over the course of negotiations. While GLCCD management seems to think that they are “not holding up the contract” and that they have made “a lot of movement on [their] part,” a majority of the “Union proposals” the Company supposedly agreed to were in fact mere clean-up or current contract language.
Stooping even lower, GLCCD responded to all of the Union’s outstanding non-economic proposals by refusing to make any real movement and simply resubmitting current contract language. The Company claimed that they could not make any meaningful movement as it is “not in the best interest of the business.”
“Management’s statements this afternoon directly contradict their February 15th letter to all GLCCD employees. Apparently, working to reach an agreement that is ‘in the best interest of all’ and ‘fair to all’ is no longer true,” added Coli.
Local 727 closed today’s bargaining by presenting a detailed and comprehensive list of members’ health care plan concerns. Among the Union’s listed issues were astronomical deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, inadequate coverage, and premium increases of as much as 216% over the life of the current contract.
The parties will reconvene negotiations tomorrow, March 29th.
Members with questions should contact Local 727 Business Representative Caleen Carter-Patton at (847) 696-7500 or [email protected].
Nothing in this article should be read as the union’s waiver of any legal argument, position or additional grievance. The union does not forfeit its right to make any and all supplemental arguments.
