Members at Canal Corp ratify new contract by 5-1 margin
Insurance costs tough issue
The pact also relieves some members of paying part of their health insurance premiums.
This benefits employees hired between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2003. After their first four years of employment with Canal Corp, they will no longer have to pay 10 percent of the premiums for individual coverage and 25 percent for family coverage.
Employees hired before July 1, 2000, continue to be exempt from paying for their health insurance.
Employees hired after July 1, 2003, will have to pay the 10 percent or 25 percent of premium, unless they were promoted into this bargaining unit or transferred to Canal Corp from the state Thruway Authority.
“Health insurance was one of the top issues for our members,” said Ted Westerling, council leader and chair of the PEF contract team, which also included: William Schollenberger, Edward Surprenant, Jeff Murray and Janet DeOrdio. PEF field representative Tom Capone was their chief negotiator.
Don’t ‘let the dogs out’
PEF didn’t need to publicly rally its members for this contract, Capone said, because Canal Corp officials recognized how effective the union could be in building support.
These negotiations began nearly two years ago, but appeared to have reached a stalemate late last year over the health insurance.
“I notified management in December that, unless we could break through that deadlock soon, we would take our issues to the public,” Capone said.
If there was any doubt that PEF meant business, it was quickly dispelled.
In spite of bitterly cold weather on January 7, PEF turned out hundreds of members and drew strong news coverage for an Albany rally protesting work rules at the state Division of Parole.
“Sure enough,” Capone said, “when we came back to the bargaining table right after that, Canal Corp began to move on the health insurance.
“I can’t be sure the two things were connected,” Capone said, “but there was a clear change in the atmosphere at the table after that.”
The
Communicator July/August 05
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