Local 727 Continues to Demand Fair Compensation
Teamsters Local 727 maintained its demand for fair wages for Skyway toll booth collectors as collective bargaining negotiations continued with Skyway Concessions Co. on July 27th and 30th.
Although Skyway Chief Operating Officer Mike Lowrey stated that Skyway bargaining unit employees were “second to none,” he had no response when the Union pressed him and the Company to address its justification for paying these exceptional toll collectors “second to everyone,” including toll booth collectors of the Illinois Tollway. Instead, Lowrey and his fellow Skyway representatives sat in stunned silence.
The Company’s attorney, Human Resources Director Brittany Lindeman, and Lowrey attempted to justify their proposal to pay Skyway employees a wage that is significantly less than Illinois Tollway employees by claiming Tollway collectors must “take a rigorous test” in order to qualify for employment. Refusing to allow such an insult of hardworking members, the Local 727 bargaining committee vehemently defended the intelligence of Skyway toll collectors and renewed its call to provide substantial raises to these dedicated employees.
While Skyway has shown minor movement on its initial wage proposal, which called for a wage increase that would keep more than half of employees at or just above minimum wage for the next three years, the Company has not yet budged on its demand to significantly increase the number of seasonal employees. The company has provided no hard evidence for the need to increase seasonals and Local 727 has repeatedly rejected the proposal.
“Skyway has acknowledged our members are attentive, diligent, and excel at their jobs,” stated John Coli, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. “A company owned in part by a Canadian union pension fund should be eager to utilize such professionals, rather than untrained seasonals with no loyalty to the Skyway, and adequately compensate these hardworking men and women for their first-rate job performance.”
Since 2016, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has owned 33.33% of Skyway Concessions Co. If you believe Local 727 should notify the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan of the working conditions at the Skyway, please contact business representative Chris Owoyemi.
The Parties have agreed to meet again on August 6th and 7th to continue bargaining.
Members with questions should contact Business Representative Chris Owoyemi 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 grievance. The union does not forfeit its right to make any and all supplemental arguments.
Category: Skyway
