The full Maintenance and Related Negotiating Committee met November 15, 2010 in Hurst, Texas with mediator Jack Kane. Accompanying Jack Kane was Walter Darr, a recent addition at the National Mediation Board (NMB). Also present were newly-elected committee members John Compton (Local 567) and Don Dougherty (Local 513). The committee would like to thank Frank Pecoraro (Local 513) for his contributions to the committee over the last three years.
The meeting with the mediator consisted of a power point presentation and discussion outlining specific reasons why the membership rejected the previous tentative agreement by a two-thirds vote. Additionally, Jack Kane was briefed on the progress made by the TWU Negotiating committee since August 24, 2010. Based on the subsequent feedback from the membership, our contract proposal has been revised accordingly and we are ready to negotiate. Throughout this entire process the objective has been to achieve an agreement our members can ratify that recognizes the sacrifices made by the membership.
Main Issues discussed included:
- Securing the next meeting date with the mediator and management
- Sacrifices made by the membership
- Revenue gains made by the company
- Additional concessions sought by the company
- Needs of the membership
We stressed the importance of securing an agreement as soon as possible and are currently waiting for a date from the mediator for the next session.
Thank you for your continued support and patience.
Your M&R Negotiating Committee