The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

July 3, 2009

CCL union rejects contract offer; members staying on job day by day

By Michael Roknick

HERMITAGE — Union workers at CCL Container in Hermitage have rejected a contract offer from the company but continue to work on a day-to-day basis.

Members of IUE-CWA Local 648 rejected the contract last Friday. No vote count was available but workers said it was by overwhelming numbers. Local 648’s previous contract expired on Wednesday. The local represents 170 production and maintenance workers at the aluminum aerosol can manufacturer. Total employment at the company runs around 200.

Healthcare and overtime have emerged as the key issues in the 4è-year contract offer by the company, union workers said.

Currently, union workers pay a $95 flat monthly fee for family health insurance. In the company’s offer it sought to boost workers’ monthly co-pay to 20 percent insurance costs in the first year and then 30 percent for the remainder of the contract.

That would mean monthly co-pays would rise to $297 in the first year and $445 thereafter assuming there were no increases in insurance costs, said a union worker who asked not to be identified because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

CCL sought to sharply reduce overtime pay by changing the work schedule such as going to a four-day 12-hour workweek, he said, along with other work rule changes.

While there were workers on layoff in the spring they have since been called back and eight of the nine lines at the plant are now running, workers said. Plans announced last year by the company to move a line from Hermitage to Mexico have not transpired. However, workers said they have not been formally told by CCL that the move has been nixed.

Repeated attempts Friday to reach a CCL representative in Hermitage were unsuccessful.

Negotiations are ongoing with the next bargaining session set for Thursday.

This is the second union in Mercer County currently working under an expired contract.

Earlier this week members of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union Local 273 twice rejected company contract offers. Local 273 represents about 150 production and maintenance workers at the Hempfield Township foundry. Local 273’s contract also expired Wednesday. Negotiations between Hodge Foundry and the union are ongoing.

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