OREANDA-NEWS. GE reached tentative agreements on new labor contracts with national leaders of its two largest unions, the IUE-CWA and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), after three weeks of negotiations.  The agreements are now subject to review by union negotiating committees and ratification by union members.

GE’s existing four-year national contracts with the IUE-CWA and the UE expire at midnight tonight.

The four-year job packages provide improvements in healthcare, wages, pension and job and income security.  The contract provisions will also be extended to additional unions that have local contracts with GE.

IUE-CWA President Jim Clark said, “I am extremely proud of our bargaining team for their persistence and focus on detail in achieving this new national contract, which I’m confident will be viewed by our membership as a winning contract that will increase their job security while also giving them improvements in benefits and wages.  I’m very pleased that all of the CBC union leaders have endorsed the contract for ratification by their members.  I want to thank our IUE membership for standing so strongly behind us throughout this process.”

IUE-CWA GE Conference Board Chairman Bob Santamoor said, “There were major issues resolved in the final moments of the negotiations process.  I am very proud of my staff and the IUE bargaining team for all of their hard work and determination over the past weeks.  The IUE bargaining committee spoke eloquently and passionately on behalf of our membership, and without them we could not have achieved the significant improvements in this contract.”

Clark and Santamoor are recommending acceptance of the tentative agreement to the IUE-CWA negotiating committee and the conference board.

UE General President Bruce Klipple said, “Hard bargaining has produced an agreement we will recommend to UE local leaders. Our members will make an important choice in the days ahead.”

Klipple is recommending acceptance of the tentative agreement to the UE negotiating committee and conference board.

GE Vice President Greg Capito said, “We have achieved our goal of creating fair agreements that will continue providing employees with good wages and benefits, while addressing current and projected competitive realities facing the company.  The new contract is endorsed by the union leadership and offers a strong future for both GE and our employees.  With this contract, GE is proud to continue offering good jobs that are among the best in the country.”

Delegates from the IUE-CWA and the UE are expected to meet early this week to review the tentative agreement and decide whether to submit it to members for a ratification vote.  If recommended for approval by union leaders, the ratification votes are expected to take place by the end of the month.

The unions affected by these tentative agreements represent approximately 16,500 GE employees in the U.S.  These unions are members of the Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) of GE Unions.

National negotiations are conducted with the IUE-CWA and the UE, and local contracts are negotiated with other CBC unions.

The IUE-CWA represents about 9,300 GE employees, and its labor agreement covers GE locations including Louisville, KY (GE Appliances); Lynn, MA (GE Aviation); and Schenectady, NY (GE Power & Water).  The UE represents about 3,480 employees and its labor agreement includes Erie, PA (GE Transportation) as the largest site.  Contracts negotiated with additional unions at the local level represent the remaining unionized employees.

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