News & Events

September 6th, 2007

Brothers and Sisters,

After several months of preparation and the exchange of written proposals, your Local #43 Executive Board and the International sat down at the bargaining table in August with Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc. to work on a new three (3) year contract. The work continued until the end of August when a tentative agreement was reached; however, Inter-Con at this point insisted on a one (1) year contract.

Below are the highlights of this new agreement:

1. An economic package was agreed to that is approximately 6% per year dependant on current wages. This includes a 4.25% across the board wage increase (the Federal government for October 1 is less) and an increase in the Wellness Bonus from $250 per year to $1000 per year. The Health & Welfare payment has also been raised by $0.40 per hour.
2. Uniform maintenance will now be paid during training when the uniform is required wear.
3. Health & Welfare payments will also be paid during training.
4. The probationary status for new supervisors (Sergeants and Lieutenants) only applies to minimum scheduled hours and schedule changes, not across the board.
5. Seniority clauses have been changed to acknowledge “breaks in seniority” rather than a loss of seniority for certain events such as military activation, FLMA, approved unpaid leave, etc. And detailed steps are now in place to cover any future reduction in hours or staff should that ever occur.

A full, electronic copy of the CBA can be found on the UGSOA Local 43 website at: www.ugsoalocal43.com.

Attempts were also made to add a section establishing a disciplinary process and to shorten and simplify the grievance process. Neither of these initiatives moved forward.

The negotiation process is a give and take affair and we did make some significant strides forward this year. Considering that this is a one (1) year contract and we will return to the bargaining table early in 2008, your Executive Board recommends a yes vote for the ratification of this Collective Bargaining Agreement.