If we include the many weeks of bargaining between UE 728 and LDRM that laid the groundwork for most of our non-economic agreements, we are now nearly two months and nineteen sessions into contract negotiations. Historically, LDRM presents us with a so-called “Last, Best, and Final” 30 days before the start of an option period, which is December 1st. This means that we should not be surprised if we get a “Final” offer from LDRM at the conclusion of bargaining on Friday, October 31st.
WHAT THEY’VE AGREED TO SO FAR
Despite a lack of meaningful engagement on core issues like money, telework, accommodations, and bringing Shane back to work, LDRM has made numerous concessions that add up to real improvements. They have already agreed to the following:
- DISCIPLINE
- NO QUOTAS
- Copies of all discipline will be provided to the Chief Steward within 1 business day (so the union can promptly file a grievance if needed).
- Added an additional discipline step to make it harder to unfairly fire good employees: 1. Verbal, 2. Written, 3. Final, 4. Suspension, 5. Termination.
- Quality/Performance discipline expires after 6 months; all other discipline expires after 1 year.
- One Quality Error waived every month for each product.
- All employees have a clean slate for quality-related discipline.
- PIPs are non-disciplinary, are not a disciplinary step, must include coaching and training, and you cannot be disciplined for failing to meet the terms of a PIP.
- UNION RIGHTS
- Increase union orientation time for new hires from 20 to 40 minutes.
- Weaken “management rights” language to limit the company’s ability to establish new policies without first bargaining with the union, including enhanced bargaining rights over the use of AI.
- Weaken the “no strike” clause by removing the union’s obligation to return striking workers to work and also allow members to refuse to cross a picket line if other NVC workers (PacArtic, guards) are on strike.
- Union Bulletin Board Postings no longer require management approval for certain postings.
- Grievances
- Program Manager removed from the grievance process.
- Management representatives must have authority to resolve a grievance during a grievance meeting (instead of denying because “I’m not authorized”).
- Paid steward time increased from 16 to 24 hours each month, saving the local money in lost time payments for stewards (stewards must clock out when doing representational work).
- WORKER RIGHTS
- Expanded layoff & recall rights so that workers have more control on where they go when positions in a department are eliminated (e.g., 2nd Shift SCAN, TI)
- Management cannot change qualifications for job postings for GC I, DE II, or CSR I positions and can only require assessments if you have not previously taken and passed that assessment (e.g., typing test, customer service assessment).
- Cannot send workers home involuntarily for system downtime; you can choose to leave or stay and get paid through to the end of your shift.
- Schedules
- Opened up possibility (no guarantee) of 3-day (12 hour) and 4-day (10 hour) schedules
- Can choose from any start time between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. (1st Shift) or 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (2nd Shift). Times outside of these range allowed with management approval. Can change your start time at any time.
- Temporary Schedule Arrangements (adjusting start & end times, scheduled workdays, shift, temporary part-time) up to 90 days at a time for medical, family, childcare, military, educational, or other personal circumstances are available as long work, supervision, and workspace is available during the requested schedule.
- Part-time Schedules between 20 & 32 hours each week are available if seating & supervision are available. Can be denied based on “business needs” but “business needs” can’t be the only reason for the denial.
- Paid Lactation Breaks of an additional 15 minutes each workday to express breastmilk (this is to combined with other breaks in coordination with your supervisor to allow enough time for each visit to the lactation room).
- Make-up Time
- Can make up a full shift.
- Available if supervision, work, seating is available; if hours are scheduled during the same workweek; and if you are not excessively calling out and then making up time after the fact (better to schedule in advance).
- Transfers to Different Tasks or Different Departments
- Assignments are for work within a department; Transfers are for work outside of a department.
- No temporary assignment or temporary transfer can exceed 60 days (down from 90).
- No assignment or transfer may occur without first asking for volunteers.
- Employees no longer have to be “qualified” (i.e., already trained) to volunteer for an assignment or transfer – unless the transfer is to Facial and you’ve already failed FR certification. This prevents situations like the repeated transfer of the same DR workers to SIV.
- Overtime
- Mandatory OT is prorated if you call out and clarified that you do not have to use PTO to cover missed OT.
- If you have paid time off scheduled during an OT week prior to the announcement of OT, you do not have to work any mandatory OT that week.
- If mandatory OT occurs, workers must be given one week off every 3 weeks.
- Dress Code – Dropped their demands for changes to the dress code (LDRM had wanted “business casual” five days a week), excepting that business casual may be required with 48 hours notice prior to an official site visit.
- Attendance
- 4-minute grace period for all clock punches (up from 3 minutes).
- Doctor’s note will now excuse unpaid absences (paid absences with vacation or sick leave are automatically excused).
- BENEFITS & PTO
- Paid closures for Presidential Proclamations, Executive Orders, or Federal Statute (NOT for weather or other circumstances)
- Bereavement leave increased from 3 days to 5 days
- Can no longer be required to use vacation for FMLA absences (can be required to use sick leave)
- Can no longer be required to use vacation leave at any time: vacation is only used if you choose to use it. If you choose to use vacation for absences, you will be excused and not subject to discipline.
- 401k match is every paycheck, not end of each year
- WAGES
- $0.20 increase to H&W (last proposal)
- $0.75 increase to wages for all classifications (last proposal)
WHAT WE’RE STILL NEGOTIATING
- Telework
- LDRM last proposed situational telework, with small changes making it a little harder to deny requests
- UE 228 last proposed improved situational telework and a monthly bank of 96 telework hours to be used at each worker’s discretion
- Building Closures
- LDRM last proposed employees must use situational telework for building closures (those who must work on site are paid; those who choose to work on site and can’t telework will not be paid)
- UE 228 last proposed paid closures for all employees (unless LDRM agrees to vastly expand telework opportunities, in which case we are open to discussing situational telework options, but ensuring pay for every worker who does not have a card reader)
- Shane
- LDRM has rejected our demand to return Shane to work
- UE 228 last proposed reinstating Shane with full backpay and benefits
- Security Clearances
- LDRM last proposed continued limitations on the union’s ability to challenge terminations when the company claims someone was fired at government direction.
- UE 228 last proposed the ability to challenge terminations if we believe the company is lying about government direction (which is exactly what the evidence shows Madonna did regarding Shane)
- Vacation
- LDRM last proposed capping vacation rollover at 1.5 times your annual allotment (down from 2.5 times) and rejected increases to vacation days
- UE 228 last proposed 5 weeks at 15 years and 6 weeks at 20 years
- Wages/Money
- LDRM last offered $0.20 for H&W, $0.75 for raises, no changes to Shift Differential, no changes to 401k match
- UE 228 last proposed a $0.65 H&W increase, $2.78 flat raises, a 7.5% 2nd Shift Differential, and reclassifying Congressional CSR I to GC III (they are now doing adjudication work)