LOCAL 467 News and Information from Local 467 President

LOCAL 467
News and Information from Local 467
President, Marty Martin
Web Address: http://www.uwua.net/local467.htm
E-mail Address: martymartink3@hotmail.com

CAMPAIGN FOR A FAIR CONTRACT

LATEST NEWS
CLICK ON LINKS BELOW

Does Kankakee County have enough good jobs? Marty Martin Says, NO!
On land and sea, solidarity is alive and well in Kankakee
Workers Picket Water Company

UWUA Pickets Annual Dinner

Job problem

July 15, 2002

KANKAKEE -- The Daily Journal's weekly poll asked this question: Does Kankakee County have enough good jobs? I knew the answer to that question, and I saw that most respondents agreed with me. No, Kankakee does not have enough good jobs. And my employer, Consumers Water, is part of the problem.

The members of our union, the people who read the meters, install the service lines and operate the water plants in Kankakee, have been working without a contract since December, when the company tried to force us to sign an agreement that would take away our job security, our guaranteed health care benefits and pensions, the 40-hour work week and our right to grieve conditions that we think are unfair.

Among the unfair provisions is a blanket "management rights" clause that would allow the company to unilaterally change, without any discussion or bargaining, our health care benefits, pensions and life insurance. Consumers Water also wants to claim the right to contract out any and all work now done by members of our union, including using part-time and temporary employees.

Your water company, under the leadership of outsiders directed by a remote parent company, Philadelphia Suburban Water, wants to convert the quality jobs that have been in our community for years into temporary or part-time positions for contractors, who would be paid less and with no benefits.

The devaluation of good Kankakee jobs is already in progress. Consumers Water is using temporary employees past the 90-day time limit in our expired contract. These workers should become probationary employees under that contract, eligible for benefits and job protections. But the company doesn't want to pay good wages and good benefits.

That's all part of the "management rights" that Consumers Water wants to invoke. The company wants flexibility to do whatever it thinks will make more money for the company. The workers and their families would be made to suffer for it.

The attitude of Consumers Water's management is very short-sighted, in my opinion. Companies that pay good wages and good benefits contribute to a higher standard of living for the community, which means more money being pumped back into the local economy, and better goods and services. When you shortchange your workers, you are shortchanging your community.

That's why we don't have enough good jobs in Kankakee County. There's a lack of good citizenship by the corporations and businesses that depend on the goodwill of the community.

Marty Martin

The Daily Journal Kankakee, Ill June 14-15, 2002
WORKERS PICKET WATER COMPANY

Employees of Consumers Illinois Water Company showed up at the company's annual meeting
Thursday for an informational picket. The employees were picketing because of continuing
problems trying to reach a new contract.
A pair of boats on the river behind the plant also joined in the protest. Click Here for full story

ON LAND AND SEA SOLIDARITY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN KANKAKEE

Detail of T-shirt and buttons worn by supporters

You can access this site at http://www.uwua.org in the Links / Local Union Links
Web Site Address: http://uwua.net/local467.html

ON LAND AND SEA SOLIDARITY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN KANKAKEE

Click on photo to enlarge

Visitors to Consumers Illinois Water Company’s annual “Investing In the Community Dinner” on Thursday, June 13,
2002 were greeted by an informational picket in front of the Joseph Donovan filtration plant in ltration plant on Duane Blvd.
in Kankakee.
Members of the Utility Workers of America Local 467 walked the picket line in front of the plant, but this enterprising
member pictured above used his boat to present his case along the plant’s riverfront where the guests were meeting.
According to the picketers, they have been working without a contract for six months. Negotiations have bogged down over
the company’s demand that disputes arising out of benefit programs will not be subject to the grievance procedure but will
be “subject to the claims and appeals procedures set forth in the applicable Plan Documents”. In addition, the company’s
portion of payment for dependent and family coverage under the plan will be discussed at each anniversary date, January 1,
of each year from 2001 to 2005 rather than being fixed in the contract. The sign on the boat says, "CIWC Unfair to Their
Employees Families. We Deserve A Fair Contract".

UWUA Picket Annual Dinner

“New Contract Proposal not Accepable"

Driving along Cobb Blvd., June 14, 2002, the smell of scrumptious food adomed the air. The Consumer
Illinois Water Company held its annual dinner at the Purification Plant located there. Cocktails at four, dinner at
five; many smiling faces entered the plant. They were looking forward to a nice dinner and conversation.

Outside the plant marched CIWC employees. Their faces were not so smug. They appeared to
be filled with concern and frustration. Vehicles rode past honking and cheering them on gleefully shouting
“Union”. The purpose? Utility Workers Union Local 467 feel they are being treated unfairly. Since December
2001, these employees have been working without a contract.

A recent proposal submitted to the union by CIWC has angered many union supporters. According to
a recent press release, CIWC want to be able to hire outside workers to do work normally done by UWUA
workers, decrease vacation pay as well as hire part time and seasonal workers to do work- normally done by
the bargaining unit, reduce accumulated sick time, decrease vacation time carried, take away job security, make
overtime mandatory.

According to union officials employees are doing a great job despite the fact that they are working
without a contract. "We realize the people of the metro area we serve need water. It is the most precious
resource we have. Over 12 million gallons of water a day pass through the miles and miles of water lines and
pumping stations located throughout Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnias, Aroma Park, Limestone and pump
stations in Will County

According to Marty Martin, UWUA local 467 president, these men and women in the bargaining unit
do a great job of ensuring that we represent the Company well. The professionalism that these people display
to the public is one of real care and concern for the job they do. Supplying, people with something as essential
as water is nothing to sneeze at. We do a great job of keeping it safe and keeping it available.

My heart warms in the middle of the winter when a water line breaks, and the only real issue despite
the below zero temperatures is th efact that mothers with children, and stores, etc. need water to do business
and adequately run households. The men and women in the trenches are not put off by the cold water or cold
weather. When a fire call is made to the respective fire houses in the metro area, we are confident that when
they hook up to our lines, they will have water to put out the fire. There are companies with miles of water lines
in their facilities designated for sprinkler systems as part of their fire safety program. Our water runs through
those lines, “ Martin explained. With over 325 miles of main water lines, the service to metro customers goes
on to as far as Manteno, Illinois and the Diversitech campus.

In a recently developed subdivision there, having access to city water was a big factor for many of the
families that lived there. Indian Oaks' Academy, the bank building, and several of the developments that have
come to that area labeled city water via Consumers Illinois Water as a main consideration.

Several issue continue to plague the contract negotiations. However, consumers have not felt the
effects of that. According to several workers that the Weekly Report spoke-to, the consumer should not have
to endure any negative impacts due to the company and bargaining units negotiations. "That would undermine
all that us workers stand for, explained one worker who wished to remain anonymous. “We will work this out
the best way for all of us, but the consumer must not and will not be affected by us,” he explained further.

Many of the workers believe that the answer to the problems of the negotiations comes down to
just "what is fair". "It comes down to getting an honest days pay for an honest days work. It comes down to
being able to feel good that you are able to keep you and your family afloat. There is nothing more gratifying
than being called out in the middle of the night in the winter to fix a water main, when you feel like your
employer respects and appreciates the effort you are putting in. Sure, I love any job; however, I like it more
when I am treated fairly and am invested in my companies future", he continued. He suggested that there are'
several 30 year service workers with an average amount of time on the job for many employees exceeding 20
years. By all accounts most in management would agree that these people have definitely had a part in building
the successes of Consumer Illinois Water.

As the primary provider of usable water, metro area residents are able to open a tap and never have to
worry about there not being any water. "Today is a good day for us. One resident told me that they don't think
about if there will be water in those lines tomorrow or the next day. They say that the fact is that they just
know that it will be. The person said that we don't have to worry. For as long as I have needed water I have
been able to get it. I have been able to take the resource for granted. I guess that is what your management is
doing to you", he stated Whatever the case, UWUA Local 467 wants to let people know that they are going
to stay positive and thank all the people who came to support them at the informational picket.

The Herald - June 18, 2002

CIWC touts commuinity's volunteer spirit; 5 year plan

        On Mother’s Day, when most people are spending their time treating mom to a good time, employees of Consumers
Illinois Water Company, along with volunteers were sandbagging the filtration plant.
          The May, 2002 flood level of the Kankakee River was dangerously close to indundating the mechanical room of the
walter filtration
plant on Duane Blvd. in Kankakee. Vice-president/general manager of CIWC Tom Bunosky told the guests at the annual
Investing In the
Community Dinner on Thursday, June 13 that he was impressed and amazed at the outpouring of community support.
          Bunosky said the water company’s pledge to its customers is to keep clean water f1owing 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. A flood of the mechanical room would have necessitated a shut down for cleaning and sanitizing filtering equipment.
          “In one hour,” said Bunosky, “there were fire department personnel, Kankakee County Detention Center prisoners in
their orange suits and people like Kankakee mayor Don Green and Aroma Park mayor Norm Grimsley filling sandbags and
blocking the water. We are thankful for the community support and it just shows me what a great cornmunity we have here.”
          Nick DeBenedictus, CEO of the water company’s parent company Philadelphia Suburban Corp., addressed the issue
of CIWC’s investment in the water service infrastructure. “Illinois is one of two states with a reinvestment in infrastructure of
one percent of the pipes each year. We are proud to be working on that.”
          Three years ago, when CIWC merged with Philadelphia Suburban Company, it became one of the larger companies.
“Next year, following the buyout of Pennichalk Water Company of New Hampshire, CIWC will be one of the largest United
States owned water companies and we intend to stay that way,” said DeBenedictus. He outlined the companies $15 million
dollar improvement plant for 2003 to 2007 which includes a new water storage tank in Kankakee, improvements at the filtration
plant, replacement of fire hydrants, valves and water mains. Said Bunosky, “We pledge to meet and exceed regulations.” He
also talked about customer satisfaction.  “We’ve added 5,000 customers without increasing our employment We now serve
140,000 people.
          Sherree Gessner handles our customer service department. If people aren’t happy, they can call me. I’ve had less
than five customers complain to me,” said Bunosky. “They are doing a fine job.

The Daily Journal Friday/Saturday, June 14-15, 2002

Workers picket water company (full story)

         Officials and executives of Consumers Illinois Water Co. had extra guests at their annual meeting Thursday
night: Union pickets. Members of the Utility Workers of America Local 467 and their families and supporters
marched — and in two cases
protested in boats on the river —in an informational picket from Beckman Park to the water plant to protest against
not having a new contract. The union’s contract covers 21 maintenance and service positions. The average member
has been at the plant 20 years.
          Union president Marty Martin pinned the blame on management, “We just feel we’re not getting a fair shake,”
Martin said. He says company officials have come to negotiating sessions unprepared. “They have counter
proposals we’ve given them, three sessions back they still haven’t responded to and I don’t feel they’re bargaining in
good faith.”
          Consumers Illinois vice president and division manager Tom Bunosky said today he was “completely baffled”
by allegations the company was not bargaining in good faith. It is the union’s chief negotiator who has caused
probIems he said. “The company has continued to be available to work (on negotiations) , however, the union has a
chief negotiator out of Detroit that has been quite unavailable for the past six months,” Bunosky said.
          Martin said company officials want to be able to hire out some work normally done by union employees. The
company also wants to be able to impose mandatory overtime with the right to compensate workers in time off
instead of pay. Also being objected to is a proposal which would give the company the right to change or delete
any benefits. Other sticking points are a proposed reduction of accumulated sick time; cutting vacation time; and
implementing rotating shifts for all plant employees.
          Bunosky says the company is aiming to bring benefits for plant employees in line with the rest of the
company. Implementing rotating shifts would allow the company to be more flexible and improve customer service
levels. productivity and efficiency, he said.

Web Address: http://www.uwua.net/local467.htm
E-mail Address: martymartink3@hotmail.com

UWUA.NET - LOCAL UNION PAGES UWUA HOME PAGE

Disclaimer