Members of Pipefitters and Steamfitters Locals 455 in St. Paul and 539 in Minneapolis overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer May 20.
But unlike in 2002, when the locals went on strike for seven weeks, this dispute will head to binding arbitration if the union and Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association don't reach a settlement by June 6, said Jerry Barnes, business manager for Local 455.
No new negotiations are scheduled.
Members rejected a three-year proposal with annual increases of $1.85, $1.90 and $1.95 an hour.
The vote to reject was virtually unanimous, Barnes said.
Plumbers Local 34 in St. Paul and Local 15 in Minneapolis also will head to binding arbitration if they don't settle with the contractors, said Stan Theis, business manager for Local 34.
Plumbers' negotiations are scheduled for May 31, he said. Local 34 expects to bring an offer to members on June 1; Local 15 has a membership vote scheduled for June 2.
Binding arbitration, which would be handled through the Industrial Relations Council, hasn't been used in the Pipe Trades since the 1950s, Theis said. But this year, he said, it makes more sense than a strike. "Nobody wins in that situation."
An arbitration hearing on both contracts would take place in Chicago June 6. Representatives from the Twin Cities unions and the contractors association will make their cases to a panel of union and contractor representatives from elsewhere in the country. That panel must agree unanimously before it issues a binding decision, Theis said.
The Pipefitters contract covers about 2,400 members in the Twin Cities and 12 surrounding counties. The Plumbers contract covers about 3,250 members in 7 metro counties. A separate contract in Local 15 covers St. Cloud and areas west to the South Dakota border.
Meanwhile, two additional Building Trades contracts have been settled, but four other contracts are still under negotiation:
? Negotiations continue for Sign, Screen and Display Local 880 and for Sheet Metal Workers Local 10, whose contracts expired April 30. Members of Local 10, who approved a commercial contract May 7, rejected a residential contract for the second time on May 23. The proposal included annual increases of $1.55, $1.60 and $1.70 an hour, but also contained changes in apprentice ratios and other language "that apparently our members didn?t think was a fair trade-off," said Rich Leitschuh, financial secretary-treasurer for the local.
? Construction drivers represented by the Teamsters ratified a four-year contract May 18. It provides an annual increase of $1.55 an hour the first three years, and $1.60 the fourth year. The contract covers about 1,000 Minnesota members in Local 120 in the Twin Cities, Local 160 in Rochester, and Local 346 in Duluth.
? Members of Cement Masons Local 633 ratified a three-year highway/heavy contract May 10 that provides annual increases of $1.55 an hour. The contract covers about 1,200 members in Minnesota, North Dakota and a few counties in northern Wisconsin.
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? Sprinkler Fitters Local 417 was negotiating Tuesday with the National Fire Sprinklers Association for a contract covering 430 members in Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington Counties. The current contract expires May 31.
? Heat and Frost Insulators Local 34 is negotiating Wednesday with the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association for a contract that covers 375 members in roughly the southern half of Minnesota and nine counties in Wisconsin. The current contract expires May 31.
Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org
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Members of Pipefitters and Steamfitters Locals 455 in St. Paul and 539 in Minneapolis overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer May 20.
But unlike in 2002, when the locals went on strike for seven weeks, this dispute will head to binding arbitration if the union and Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association don’t reach a settlement by June 6, said Jerry Barnes, business manager for Local 455.
No new negotiations are scheduled.
Members rejected a three-year proposal with annual increases of $1.85, $1.90 and $1.95 an hour.
The vote to reject was virtually unanimous, Barnes said.
Plumbers Local 34 in St. Paul and Local 15 in Minneapolis also will head to binding arbitration if they don’t settle with the contractors, said Stan Theis, business manager for Local 34.
Plumbers’ negotiations are scheduled for May 31, he said. Local 34 expects to bring an offer to members on June 1; Local 15 has a membership vote scheduled for June 2.
Binding arbitration, which would be handled through the Industrial Relations Council, hasn’t been used in the Pipe Trades since the 1950s, Theis said. But this year, he said, it makes more sense than a strike. “Nobody wins in that situation.”
An arbitration hearing on both contracts would take place in Chicago June 6. Representatives from the Twin Cities unions and the contractors association will make their cases to a panel of union and contractor representatives from elsewhere in the country. That panel must agree unanimously before it issues a binding decision, Theis said.
The Pipefitters contract covers about 2,400 members in the Twin Cities and 12 surrounding counties. The Plumbers contract covers about 3,250 members in 7 metro counties. A separate contract in Local 15 covers St. Cloud and areas west to the South Dakota border.
Meanwhile, two additional Building Trades contracts have been settled, but four other contracts are still under negotiation:
? Negotiations continue for Sign, Screen and Display Local 880 and for Sheet Metal Workers Local 10, whose contracts expired April 30. Members of Local 10, who approved a commercial contract May 7, rejected a residential contract for the second time on May 23. The proposal included annual increases of $1.55, $1.60 and $1.70 an hour, but also contained changes in apprentice ratios and other language “that apparently our members didn?t think was a fair trade-off,” said Rich Leitschuh, financial secretary-treasurer for the local.
? Construction drivers represented by the Teamsters ratified a four-year contract May 18. It provides an annual increase of $1.55 an hour the first three years, and $1.60 the fourth year. The contract covers about 1,000 Minnesota members in Local 120 in the Twin Cities, Local 160 in Rochester, and Local 346 in Duluth.
? Members of Cement Masons Local 633 ratified a three-year highway/heavy contract May 10 that provides annual increases of $1.55 an hour. The contract covers about 1,200 members in Minnesota, North Dakota and a few counties in northern Wisconsin.
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? Sprinkler Fitters Local 417 was negotiating Tuesday with the National Fire Sprinklers Association for a contract covering 430 members in Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington Counties. The current contract expires May 31.
? Heat and Frost Insulators Local 34 is negotiating Wednesday with the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association for a contract that covers 375 members in roughly the southern half of Minnesota and nine counties in Wisconsin. The current contract expires May 31.
Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org