Ameron, concrete
workers sit downBoth sides mull a plan
by a mediator to end
the monthlong strike
Ameron Hawaii and Teamsters officials negotiated yesterday for only the second time since the company's 140 concrete workers went on strike nearly a month ago.
Though neither side met face to face, they communicated by way of federal mediator Ken Kawamoto at the Teamsters' Hart Street headquarters in Kalihi. The talks ended after about three hours with a promise to meet again, while both sides mull over a suggestion from Kawamoto regarding medical copayments.
"It went great," Teamsters Local 996 President Mel Kahele said after the meeting ended about 7 p.m. "The mediator floated one idea. ... We're going to seriously, possibly consider it."
Neither Kahele nor Ameron Vice President George West would go into details about Kawamoto's suggestion, though West said company officials would "digest" the idea before tomorrow's 4 p.m. negotiations.
"That we're talking is positive and that we're meeting again is positive," West said.
Both sides acknowledged that the main stumbling block revolves around medical payments.
Before striking, unionized Ameron workers had 20 percent of their medical insurance premiums deducted from their after-tax paychecks.
Ameron wants employees to pay 30 percent of the premiums before taxes are deducted from the checks. The company says the change will save workers money. The union wants no change in employees' medical payments.
The union is also fighting Hawaiian Cement management because the company wants its workers to pay 20 percent of their medical insurance premiums, where currently they pay none.
About 110 Hawaiian Cement workers went on strike Feb. 7, while Ameron workers hit the picket lines a day earlier. Yesterday's meeting between Ameron and the striking Teamsters was the first since Feb. 7.
"It's been a while and we're quite pleased that we have this opportunity to get back and talk about issues," West said before the meeting yesterday. "I think the economics are not that far apart."
Since the strike started, Ameron has laid off or placed on leave about 25 of its 52 salaried employees.
Meetings between Teamsters and either concrete company have been few since the strikes began. Sources said yesterday's meeting between Ameron and the Teamsters took place only because the federal mediator called both sides. The union and Hawaiian Cement last met Feb. 25.
Gov. Linda Lingle has also been speaking with all parties. She told reporters yesterday that while the number of workers walking the picket lines might be small, the impact of the strike is significant.
"In interviews with major (national) business publications, this issue did come up, also with major investors and ongoing projects," Lingle said. "This is on their radar screen and we don't want to get a reputation of major labor unrest in the construction industry when people are deciding where to invest.
"I talked about the thousands of families that are being impacted," Lingle said. "It is not about concrete and rebar, it is about people, and I tried to make that point to them."
Star-Bulletin reporter Richard Borreca contributed to this report.