THE UNION LOCALS representing 1,250 locked-out steelworkers made a counter-proposal to National Grid on Wednesday but declined to provide any details about the terms of their offer. The two sides are not expected to meet again until late next week.
John Buonopane and Joe Kirylo, the presidents of the two union locals, issued a statement saying their counter-proposal “meets the needs of our workers, tackles the serious safety problems within the company, and addresses the priorities expressed by National Grid. We hope that National Grid exhibits good faith and gives this fair and reasonable proposal serious consideration over the next several days.”
The two union officials called the utility’s lockout a “reckless decision” that has negatively impacted their members, residents, developers, and cities and towns. “It’s in National Grid’s best interest and the best interest of public safety that the company carefully review this proposal and make a serious effort to finally end the lockout,” the statement said.
National Grid issued a statement saying the company was still reviewing the counter-proposal, the union’s first in five months. The company said it requested another meeting for Saturday but union officials said they would not be available until next Thursday.
A legislative committee is scheduled to hold a hearing early the following week, on December 4, on a bill designed to pressure National Grid to settle the labor dispute by forcing the company to provide health insurance to the locked-out workers and by denying the utility access to any rate hikes.
National Grid locked its steelworkers out in June after the union refused to accept a contract offer that boosted the current average employee salary from $120,000 a year, including overtime, to $137,000; offered a no-layoff guarantee to all employees with more than five years of service; and provided a 10 percent increase in pension benefits for current employees. The proposal required all employees to pay deductibles and co-insurance on their health coverage while putting new employees on a 401K plan and offering them less sick time and life insurance.
