Negotiations Will Start Back Up On Tuesday APRIL 5

Our negotiations will resume on Tuesday April 5. We have been in contact with the company each week we have been off and have been working on getting a room to meet in at the hotel. We have a room now so we will start back up at 9:30am that day.

We hope to make some real good progress so that we can work toward the session after this one to take on some of the more complicated subjects - like health care coverage, pensions, wages etc.

We are starting to see the beginning of what the contract will look like when we are done. So far we have covered every subject that has been brought to the table in depth, we have agreed on quite a few and we still have work to do on a handful of issues.

Your reps are working hard for you and I give them so much credit for their dedication and committment to this process. Their work has been commendable.

Stay solid, stay strong

Good Day, Good Week: Great Job By Your Reps!

You are being represented very well in the negotiations by your reps. They are helping IBEW Local 363 to cover every issue - looking through your eyes. You should feel proud to have these people there for you. IBEW Local 363 is also proud of them and the way they handle themselves during discussions and bargaining back and forth. We have had some enlightening and great discussions and ALL are with your benefit and welfare in mind.

Thank you to EVERYONE for your support and for your interest in bargaining. There is an understandable question by some about the time it takes to come to an agreement. Through collective bargaining, we are going over EACH SIDES concerns on every subject. It is a thorough and technical process but it pays off later to cover and discuss issues now.

We are there to voice YOUR side of the coin. Let me provide the following information in regard to our bargaining in an attempt to answer some of your concerns and questions.

WE HAVEN'T covered wages, pension or health coverage at all.

WE HAVE discussed holidays, shutdowns, vacation pay, scheduling, shifts and shift pay, hours of work, seniority, call ins, call backs, injuries on job and off, show up pay, time off between shifts, overtime, tools, breaks, lunch, team leaders, temporary assignments, overtime pay, overtime procedure, disciplinary procedures, company doctors, Supervisors doing your work, safety, emergencies, employee doctors, return to work, grievance procedure, arbitration rules, transfers, pay issues, personal issues, leaves of absence, length of contract, renewing the contract, modifying the contract, who is covered, what is covered, workers rights, management rights, time clocks.

There is so much to cover with each and every subject.

Most of those subjects listed above still have unanswered parts but we have made some progress. We try to understand each others point of view and it works pretty good in most cases.

We don't agree on everything yet and we probably will never both agree on every single separate thing. But when we are done we will agree that as a whole it is a fair contract. That is when we will be done. IBEW Local 363 won't stop negotiating for you until that happens either.

When we are done you will have the fairest contract we can negotiate. We will bring it back to you with every detail when we reach that point.

My best guess of when that will be is May or June. We want it closer to May. The fact is that only time and discussion will tell.

Stay Strong Stay Solid

Next Bargaining Sessions Start Monday

First of all, thanks to all of the MCC IBEW members who came to the rally this past Thursday. There were almost 1000 people there. Nurses, truckers, iron workers, teachers, electricians, can makers, highway department workers, firefighters and many others were there to stand up for the rights of all Americans to bargain with their employer.

Thank you to THE WORLD FAMOUS PETE SEEGER for coming and singing "Which Side Are You On?" with us. Mr. Seeger is now 91 years old and truly an inspiration to everyone near him.

If you missed it you will get another chance in the beginning of April at another rally that should be much larger. Look here for details.

Bargaining for your contract continues next week. Like many of the posters already stated under the previous story - we want to make sure that we make our progress in the most prudent way - we are not rushing or holding back.

Negotiating is a marathon, not a sprint.

We believe that we will be making some decent progress this week. If you have any suggestions - please let your reps know.

Stay Strong, Stay Solid

Newsflash For All MCC IBEW Workers: Come To A Rally For Workers Rights THIS Thursday At 4:30 PM

Hudson Valley working men and women will stand in solidarity THIS THURSDAY with Teachers, Firefighters, Nurses, Construction Workers, Public Employees and many other under attack by governors and state legislators who are attempting to take away the RIGHTS OF THE AMERICAN WORKERS.

Please join with IBEW Local 363 and come out to support all American workers and their rights to bargain collectively over their working conditions.

The rally will be held at the Teamsters Local 445 Facility at 15 Stone Castle Road, Rock Tavern, NY. Stone Castle Road is located just off of Rt. 17k on one end and just off of Rt. 52 on the other.

The rally begins at 4:30PM. You should try to arrive a little earlier than that if possible.

As an active Local Union, IBEW Local 363 is always there to support working people and labor in the Hudson Valley and beyond and we ask our members to come out, speak out and stand together with other working people for the benefit of us all. Come be part of the UNINTENDED rebirth of the labor movement.