OREANDA-NEWS. June 02, 2015. GE today began negotiations on a new national contract with the International Union of Electronic Workers/Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA). Negotiations with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) will begin tomorrow, June 2, 2015. GE holds separate talks with each union. The current four-year contracts with the unions expire at midnight on June 21, 2015.

“Our goal is to negotiate fair and competitive agreements that will provide employees with good wages and benefits, while addressing current and projected economic realities facing the company,” said John Gritti, GE’s chief negotiator. “We have successfully negotiated thirteen national contracts with our unions and I look forward to continuing this positive track record.”

There are approximately 16,500 GE employees represented by contracts with 11 unions that are part of the Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) of GE unions. The IUE/CWA and the UE have national contracts with GE. Contracts with other CBC unions are negotiated on a local basis around the same time as national negotiations.

The IUE/CWA represents about 9,300 GE employees and its labor agreement covers GE locations including Louisville, Ky. (GE Appliances); Lynn, Mass. (GE Aviation); and Schenectady, N.Y. (GE Power & Water) as some of the largest. The UE represents about 3,480 employees and its labor agreement includes Erie, PA (GE Transportation) as the largest site.

Combined, IUE/CWA and UE represented jobs at GE have increased approximately 16 percent since the last GE national contract negotiations in 2011.

GE employs approximately 305,000 people globally, including 136,000 in the U.S. -- one of the largest employers in the country. GE’s U.S. industrial businesses now support over 117,000 jobs, up from 103,000 in 2009.

To learn more about this year’s negotiations, please view this short video at www.geunionnegotiations.com.