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GE
Completes
Presentation of
Contract 'Offer'
UE-GE
Small Table Report
Wednesday, June 21st, 2000
As promised, Wednesday saw GE complete its
"roll out" of what they termed the "bones" of a
complete contract proposal. Unfortunately, someone had picked the
bones clean by the time they hit the bargaining table with a dull
thud. GE led off the morning with a proposal on Job and Income
Security which provided for no jobs, no security, and precious few
improvements of any kind.
GE did say they would renew SERO (but not the SERO
window as yet) the Plant Closing Pension Option (PCPO), but added
ZERO dollars to any of these benefits. They did offer a modest
increase in the Voluntary Layoff and Voluntary Retirement Bonuses
applicable to employees over 60 years old, and doubled the Plant
Closing Education Allowance. There were also minor improvements in
the Preferential Placement program. Other than that, not a single
improvement in all of article XXIII was to be found.
In a mild surprise, the company also added to its
pension proposals. GE followed the pattern set earlier in the day by
renewing the $325 Special Supplement, but again without any increase
in the amount. Nor did the company offer to up the regular $13
supplement.
The company did offer to extend the supplements
beyond age 62 in light of the gradual increase in the age
requirement to receive 80% Social Security benefits, but their
proposal literally was half-baked. Rather than accept the UE
proposal to extend the supplement until the 80% age level is
reached, GE said they would only travel half the distance. As union
negotiators noted, the company is apparently ready to sacrifice the
Social Security leg of the "three-legged-stool" when it
suits them.
In the same vein, GE had nothing whatever to offer
to age 65 retirees who will also face the same problem as the age to
get full Social Security benefits heads towards 67. This raising of
the Social Security age was legislated during ex-GE employee Ronald
Reagans administration. Naturally, the company disclaims
responsibility. The one bright spot in this round of proposals was
some improvement in the survivorship options. GE survivors can
indeed use the help.
With the exception of an increase in the weekly
Short Term Disability (STD) benefit, the rest of the day was devoted
to a variety of minor modifications to various benefits. While some
of these were worthwhile, GEs main concern clearly was to propose
nothing that will cost them any money to speak of.
It was a lackluster day to be sure, any hope that GE
was saving the best for last was dashed when they set forth their
wage offer, which was underwhelming to say the least ... and, it
included no COLA improvements.
This then was the sum total of the offer for a new
National Contract from the worlds most profitable corporation.
One additional note of interest. GE, has insisted
that all benefit plans define the word "spouse" as
excluding any and all same-sex domestic partners. Quite a commentary
about a company that calls itself "an equal opportunity
employer."
UE was represented at the small table by General
President John Hovis and UE-GE Conference Board Secretary Steve
Tormey.
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Pension
and Insurance
Subcommittee Report
The Pension and Insurance Subcommittee met through
the day on Wednesday. CBC members completed review of pension
improvement proposals, despite the companys
"poor-mouth" claims that our proposals were too
"rich." UE local representatives weighed-in on the
counterattack against GEs demand for drastic increases in
prescription costs for current employees as well as retirees. The
increases aimed at retirees are particularly insulting, given that
the ink is barely dry on the pensioners increase that was grudgingly
granted on May 1.
Subcommittee members also demanded that GE diversify
the trustees of the pension plan. Current plan trustees are drawn
exclusively from the ranks of highly-compensated GE management-level
employees who diligently manage the assets of the pension trust in
the best interests of GE as opposed to the best interests of the
retirees and plan participants.
UE was represented at the Pension and Insurance
Subcommittee table by Dave Adams, Local 506, Chris Barrickman, Local
731, Ted Bradley, Local 1010, Bill Callahan, Local 751, Joyce
Sumner, Local 332, and UE International Representative Chris
Townsend.
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Contract
Language
Subcommittee Report
The Contract Language Subcommittee met through the
day Wednesday as well, with UE local representatives scoring GE for
their refusal to seriously address legitimate demands for
preferential hiring improvements. Company schemes to "screen
out" long-service GE workers seeking preferential hiring with
"peer review panels" and concocted testing procedures were
exposed and denounced. Subcommittee members also lambasted the
company for its refusal to provide adequate information on existing
job openings, as well as their refusal to permit preferential hiring
into so-called "subsidiary" and tax-shelter created
companies.
Demands were made to eliminate the waiting week, and
to uncouple Income Extension Aid (IEA) from unemployment
compensation. In addition, CBC members rallied to push GE to
dramatically improve the on-site emergency medical situation in
numerous company locations, and to force the company to test and
monitor the health of those employees exposed to potentially
dangerous substances on-the-job. Various problems regarding company
blocking of employee upgrading were also discussed.
UE was represented at the Contract Language
Subcommittee by co-chair Pat Rafferty, Local 506, Nita Gonzales,
Local 1010, Bob Brown, Local 332, and Betsy Potter, Local 618.
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