OSG, union at bargaining table
NORWICH – The International Chemical Workers Union at OSG Pharmaceuticals may strike if current contract talks don’t go their way.
The union members held a strike vote prior to labor negotiations that were supposed to begin in December, but the talks were pushed back to Jan. 3.
The union’s meeting was open to all 219 members; 161 attended, voting 157 to 4 in favor of giving the power to declare a strike over to the union bargaining leadership, said Local Union President Gary Robbins.
OSG Norwich Pharmaceuticals President Christopher R. Calhoun said he could not comment on current negotiations due to legal ramifications, but did release a media statement.
“Seventy percent of company costs of operations are labor costs. It is imperative that all these costs are effectively managed. There have been discussions regarding wage reductions; however, the company has offered alternate solutions to deliver on our cost-containment challenges. Many elements of the collective agreement contain procedures and rules that add unnecessary costs,” said the release.
Calhoun repeatedly expressed a desire for “understanding and good faith negotiations,” saying the challenges facing a commercial company by nature continually changed.
Robbins said many union members were discontent with the way management handled the business in the last year and it had bred a growing suspicion that the company desired to eliminate the union altogether. “In particular was their controversial move to fire 19 technicians just two days before joining the union. Technicians eligible for joining the union must work a sixth-month probationary term before joining, so the 19 were let go at the very end of that,” said Robbins.
Preliminary negotiations have seen a request for a 15 percent cut in pay across the board and reductions in overtime and sick time benefits. Robbins also reported that OSG’s initial offer included a desire to increase the number of non-union employees. The union said it wants a raise large enough to surpass this year’s rise in health care costs which exceeded their annual raise in 2006, actually causing a reduction in overall income. “They never have asked for so much in opening negotiations before,” he said.
Every three years OSG’s union contract must be re-negotiated. The current contract expires at midnight on Jan. 21, but can be extended by the company if negotiations need to continue beyond that point. The union body will cast a final vote to either endorse or reject the new contract on Jan. 20. If rejected, the leadership could still call a strike even if the company does offer to extend the current contract beyond the deadline.
The union members held a strike vote prior to labor negotiations that were supposed to begin in December, but the talks were pushed back to Jan. 3.
The union’s meeting was open to all 219 members; 161 attended, voting 157 to 4 in favor of giving the power to declare a strike over to the union bargaining leadership, said Local Union President Gary Robbins.
OSG Norwich Pharmaceuticals President Christopher R. Calhoun said he could not comment on current negotiations due to legal ramifications, but did release a media statement.
“Seventy percent of company costs of operations are labor costs. It is imperative that all these costs are effectively managed. There have been discussions regarding wage reductions; however, the company has offered alternate solutions to deliver on our cost-containment challenges. Many elements of the collective agreement contain procedures and rules that add unnecessary costs,” said the release.
Calhoun repeatedly expressed a desire for “understanding and good faith negotiations,” saying the challenges facing a commercial company by nature continually changed.
Robbins said many union members were discontent with the way management handled the business in the last year and it had bred a growing suspicion that the company desired to eliminate the union altogether. “In particular was their controversial move to fire 19 technicians just two days before joining the union. Technicians eligible for joining the union must work a sixth-month probationary term before joining, so the 19 were let go at the very end of that,” said Robbins.
Preliminary negotiations have seen a request for a 15 percent cut in pay across the board and reductions in overtime and sick time benefits. Robbins also reported that OSG’s initial offer included a desire to increase the number of non-union employees. The union said it wants a raise large enough to surpass this year’s rise in health care costs which exceeded their annual raise in 2006, actually causing a reduction in overall income. “They never have asked for so much in opening negotiations before,” he said.
Every three years OSG’s union contract must be re-negotiated. The current contract expires at midnight on Jan. 21, but can be extended by the company if negotiations need to continue beyond that point. The union body will cast a final vote to either endorse or reject the new contract on Jan. 20. If rejected, the leadership could still call a strike even if the company does offer to extend the current contract beyond the deadline.
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