Sunday, June 30, 2013

Nailing down a contract: Carpenters’ strike would affect WTC, other construction sites

Unless a last-minute breakthrough occurs in stalled contract talks, 350 cabinetmakers and wood installers will go on strike — affecting about a dozen commercial construction sites around New York City.

Stephen McInnis, president of the District Council of Carpenters, which represents Local 2790, said the union agreed to a 10-year-deal with wage negotiations possible in the third and seventh years, but that it wouldn’t budge on benefits. He said it was not fair to retroactively change the benefits structure for workers already on the job for 15, 20 or 30 years.

By Ginger Adams Otis / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The carpenters union in New York plans to put the screws to a group of construction contractors by walking off job sites Monday, the Daily News has learned.

Unless a last-minute breakthrough occurs in stalled contract talks, 350 cabinetmakers and wood installers will go on strike — affecting about a dozen commercial construction sites around the city.

“We made them an offer they can live with, and they made us an offer we have to refuse,” said Stephen McInnis, president of the District Council of Carpenters, which represents Local 2790.

Projects at 4 World Trade Center, the General Motors building on Fifth Avenue and 59th Street and the Time Warner building at Columbus Circle will halt if the workers go on strike, along with many others.

The union’s been trying to hammer out a deal with the Manufacturing Woodworkers Association for more than a year, McInniss said.

The Association wants the high-end cabinetmakers and wood installers of Local 2790 to agree to a 10-year wage freeze at the current rate of $31.24, as well as greatly reduced benefits.

McInnis said the union agreed to a 10-year-deal with wage negotiations possible in the third and seventh years — but it wouldn’t budge on benefits.

“I need a proposal I can get ratified. If I went to the membership with this, it wouldn’t pass,” he said.

The MWA wants to cap benefit contributions at 40 hours a week so it would no longer have to make pension, vacation and health care contributions on overtime pay.

McInnis said it was not fair to retroactively change the benefits structure for workers already on the job — although the union is open to making changes for new hires.

“Some of these guys have 15, 20 or 30 years on the job, you can’t go in now and fundamentally change how their benefits accrue,” he said.

The 350 members of Local 2790 voted Thursday night to go out on strike if necessary.

Lawyers for the MWA tried to obtain an emergency temporary restraining order against the union over the weekend, but a judge denied their request.

The District Council said it would alert its other construction locals to the problems with MWA.

“This will be an economic strike, and I anticipate a very favorable response among our members,” McInnis said.

8 comments:

  1. DROP DEAD UNITY TEAM !

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  2. PLEASE MR WALSH LOOK INTO THE DEALINGS BETWEEN THE MWA AND BARRY BALLEN CEO OF GILBERT DISPLAYS AND DENNIS SHIEL YOU WILL FIND AN ORGANIIZED ATTEMPT TO TO BANKRUPT OUR UNION THE HEADS OF MWA MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR FOR THERE BACKROOM DEALINGS

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  3. look at this assholes big head

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  4. SHAME ON YOU UNITY TEAM AND MWA STEALING MONEY OFF YOUR WORKERS TO GET RICHER!!! YOU NOT ONLY TAKE FROM YOUR WORKERS BUT FROM THERE FAMILIES! THANKS TO YOU MY CHILDREN HAVE NO HEALTH BENEFITS! ITS TIME YOU DID THE RIGHT THING AND GIVE US BACK WHAT WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR AND WHAT WE DESERVE! WE THE WORKERS HAVE MADE YOU THE MILLIONS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKETS TODAY! WITHOUT US YOU WOULD HAVE NOTHING!! MWA WANTS TO CHARGE UNION RATES BUT DON'T PAY IT TO THERE WORKERS! DOES ANYONE SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

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  5. The Dockbuilders voted to strike at 3 separate meetings and the entire E board ignored the will of the members because of LACK OF BALLS !!!Now after 100 years of the best safety record in the country they caved on our crew size and they will have to live with the death of every member that dies as a result of their actions.

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  6. Get Behind Your Union --- Its Time To STRIKE!

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    Replies
    1. That's right get behind a union that was always behind you for one reason alone, -A Good Fucking!

      The only cause for members to get behind their union is so that we are not victimized any longer and so we can see what its like to screw them.

      Delete

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