OFS Tentative Agreement - Final Bargaining Report

To:  OFS Local Presidents

The CWA and OFS reached a tentative agreement today on a new contract.  The CWA Bargaining Team feels that a lot of progress was made on the key issues facing our members.  We were able to hold back the Company assault on the benefits that our members fought so hard for.

The new contract will expire on June 1, 2013.

Wages:

   ·  June 1, 2009 – $250 lump sum and $250 signing bonus upon ratification
   ·  January 4, 2010 – 2.25%
   ·  January 3, 2011 – 2.00%
   ·  January 2, 2012 – 2.00%
   ·  January 7, 2013 – 1.00%

Pensions:

   ·  Traditional Pension and Cash Balance remain the same.

Active and Retired Employee Medical Benefits:

   ·  Minimum changes to medical
   ·  Premiums
   ·  We were also able to negotiate a Joint Healthcare Committee
   ·  There are some other plan changes that will be discussed in the full bargaining report.

Alliance:

   ·  Will continue to be funded

Articles:

Following are some of the improvements in the articles in the new contract.  The Bargaining Team worked hard to present the demands we received from the Locals.  Many were accomplished, many were not, but a strong effort was made to get the changes we needed.

Article 9 – Wages

   ·  After 6-1-06 at the Norcross facility and 6-1-09 at the Sturbridge facility – employees whose scheduled daily tour falls wholly or in part between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. will be paid a night work bonus of $1.00 per hour for hours worked during his/her Scheduled Daily Tour.  (This differential change does not affect Sturbridge's CON-OP language.)

   ·  All represented employees will be eligible to receive 4.00% Short-Term Incentive Plan Bonus to be paid bi-annually based on Company-defined objectives.

* Company agrees to pay through the end of June 2009 to complete the Q-2 payment at 3% of the STIP targets set locally at Norcross and Sturbridge.

   ·  Elimination of Profit Sharing

   ·  Members of the Emergency Response Teams who are trained and certified in accordance with OSHA standards will receive $125.00 per quarter ($500.00 per year).

Article 14 – Excused Work Days

   ·  Two (2) Excused Work Days may be scheduled in one (1) hour increments.

   ·  Denied Excused Work Days need to be completed prior to June 30.

Article 15 – Pay Treatment for Absences

   ·  Under Death in Family, Daughter-in-law and Son-in-law were added to Immediate Family Members

Article 22 – Welfare and Training Programs

   ·  Administration of the programs will come from the Training Subcommittee and the Alliance regional resources with the goal of creating programs to support employees' skills enhancement for current and future jobs at OFS.

   ·  Employees involuntarily terminated due to layoff, with recall rights, will be afforded access to job-related training programs subject to agreement by the respective local Training Subcommittees.

As stated above, other changes and additional explanations of these changes will be provided to the Local Presidents at the contract explanation meeting when it is held.  Also you will be receiving them in the Bargaining Report accompanying your Contract Ratification ballot.

In Unity,

Ralph V. Maly, Chair
James Cosgrove, CWA Staff
Ruth W. Marriott, CWA Staff
Voricea Phillips, President, CWA Local 3263
Chris LaPierre, Secretary-Treasurer, CWA Local 1366