We are the United Steelworkers, North America’s largest industrial union. We’re 1.2 million members and retirees strong in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. We proudly represent men and women who work in nearly every industry there is.
After months of hard work by your Bargaining Committee, we have reached a Severance Agreement with the company. As we explained in the membership meetings we held on May 25, bargaining over the effects of a shutdown completely changes the dynamics of bargaining. In short, the union faces a more difficult time because its usual leverage points are taken away.
Despite this, we were able to leverage the solidarity and support you gave us into the agreement we are describing below. We are confident that we negotiated the best agreement possible and left nothing on the table.
The existing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will continue in full force and effect through its termination date of March 17, 2023, except as modified in the memorandum of agreement with Mylan addressing shutdown issues.
Severance – each person will receive two weeks of regular straight-time pay for every year of service, up to a maximum of 52 weeks. However, no person, regardless of their years of service, will receive less than 12 weeks of severance pay. Regular straight-time pay includes regular straight-time hourly wage rate, technical premium, longevity pay and shift premium. For employees whose bid-in job is the potency suite, regular straight-time pay will also include the potency suite premium at the level paid the day prior to the employee’s termination date. Severance pay will be paid at normal pay dates rather than as a lump sum. For example, if you have 20 years of seniority, you are entitled to 40 weeks of severance pay, which will be paid at the normal pay dates over that 40-week period. The union and company agreed that these payments are severance pay in order to avoid any interference with unemployment benefits (though the State of West Virginia will decide all unemployment benefit eligibility questions).
Healthcare – your healthcare will continue for the same length of time as your severance payments. You will be receiving benefits as part of COBRA, the federal law that governs continuation of benefits for when you lose employment (as well as other reasons, but loss of employment is applicable in this situation). The company will subsidize the entire cost of COBRA premiums for the period of time you are receiving Severance. The subsidy will end when/if you are offered healthcare at a subsequent employer, but it is not clear how the company will administer this provision.
Prescription drugs provided under Sections 26.6 and 26.7 of the CBA to eligible employees, eligible dependents and parents of eligible employees will continue to be provided until March 17, 2023.
Employees on Short-Term or Long-term Disability coverage at the time they are terminated will continue to receive coverage for the maximum term described in Section 10.2. Additionally...
USW Local 348 is an amalgamated Local made up of ten Units. The Units are BP Pipeline, Buckeye Terminals, Buckeye Pipeline, Panhandle Eastern Pipeline, Ecovyst, ONEOK Pipeline, Mears Installation, Cenveo, West Rock Blue Springs and West Rock Liberty.
The Local is a representative Local with each of these Units being equally represented within the Local under the constitution and bylaws. Each Unit has an Executive Board member who represents their respective Unit in the months between membership meetings. Since 348 has members in fifteen states it is not practical to try to hold monthly membership meetings. The Local conducts four membership meetings each year, which are scheduled on the second Thursday of March, May, August, and November at 6:30 pm. During the other months the Executive Board conducts business via conference call. They approve expenses and watch over expenditures on a monthly basis; they take action on requests for any lost time and expenses for members; they approve or disapprove of any business that may need to be addressed prior to a membership meeting. Business that can be held for a membership meeting is held for action from the members at the next meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer and the President of the Local sit on the Executive Board but are not voting members, except that in the case of a tie, the President shall cast the deciding vote. The membership reviews the monthly actions of the Executive Board and either approve or disapprove of their action at the quarterly membership meetings. Executive Board members are brought into the Local for the May and November meetings, where they act as a bylaws committee and make recommendations on business items.
The Local has all the usual officers (i.e., President, Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Trustee, etc.) who work under the direction of the Executive Board during the months that membership meetings are not held. The Trustees audit the Local’s books on a quarterly basis.
Each Unit within the Local elects their own General Workers Committee President and GWC members to represent the Unit during contract negotiation or grievance procedures. These individuals work directly with their assigned International Staff Representative to conduct the business of their Unit. Each Unit elects an Executive Board member to represent the Unit within the Local. This individual could be the GWC President or any member of that Unit.
Unit GWC members are reimbursed expenses and lost time in accordance with the Local bylaws. Each GWC is...
