Kent County 2019 Bargaining Update #1

Your CWA Local 13101 bargaining council met with Kent County to negotiate a successor agreement for the one which expires on 12/31/19.

We first met on 11/8/19 and the negotiations got off to a rocky start over ground rules.

Yes you read that correctly, ground rules!! The Chief Negotiator for Kent County implied that the County would hold bargaining hostage until the ground rules were accepted.

Your CWA bargaining council proceeded to pass proposals on your behalf, to improve working conditions to the County. We received no response or counters. The meeting was a short one, without real dialogue.

We met again on Thursday, 11/14/19 and proposed language on Conduct during Negotiations and had productive discussions on that issue.

Your CWA bargaining council then addressed additional proposals on economics and working conditions. We shared our purpose behind every demand. The proposals passed by the union are reasonable and have a rational foundation which we shared with the County and invited and addressed their questions.

In the afternoon, the County then passed their “comprehensive proposal” The County essentially struck language and entered new language throughout the agreement. They offered no explanation of their proposal, so we went for more than two hours we went page by page in an effort to understand their needs. We didn’t finish, but we saw enough to understand they want concession after concession.

Concessions are not something your bargaining council is ever interested in, especially at a time when the County should be doing well. The recession is long over.

Although we cannot share the details of the bargain sessions, we will attempt to keep you updated on the process and if the talks are going in a positive direction or not.

Your united support of your bargaining council along with the services you provide and the work ethic you demonstrate every day is our real strength at the bargaining table.

We will bring back a contract that is worthy of all that you do, we are in this together…

Jesse Wallace- CWA 13101 Cheif Steward, Bargaining Council member
Ray Janson- CWA 13101 Bargaining Council member
John Petrini- CWA staff
Mike Watson- CWA 13101 Vice President
Jim Ryan- CWA 13101 President

SOLIDARITY FOREVER !!
Tell Kent County to Cut the Crap