RONEN ZILBERMAN / RZILBERMAN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Teamsters chief Mel Kahele announced Hawaiian Cement's break-through yesterday.
Teamsters vote tomorrow
on an accord that could end
the Hawaiian Cement strikeSome terms of the proposal
Union negotiators and Hawaiian Cement have reached a tentative deal to end one of the two concrete strikes that have nearly immobilized the state's construction industry for more than 40 days.
If the union membership accepts yesterday's proposed five-year deal, Hawaiian Cement's 67 workers could be back in the concrete-pouring business by Monday.
Teamster Local 996 officials said they planned to take Hawaiian Cement's "last, best and final offer" back to its membership for a ratification vote tomorrow.
"We're looking at wrapping this up as soon as possible," said Teamsters President Mel Kahele at 6 p.m.
"The company finally put a package on the table that amounted to over 140 percent more than what they had prior to the strike ... the committee considered the final offer and are actually going to recommend to the members to accept the final offer."
Originally, Hawaiian Cement officials were negotiating for a three-year contract, but they said last night that the switch to a five-year contract was one of the many compromises made in the union's favor.
"The union prevailed in sick leave, duration of the contract and certainly in wages and pension," said Hawaiian Cement Vice President Michael Coad. "But overall it was good for both sides."
"And hopefully they're right about being back to work on Monday. ... I'm told that customers are already calling, and we'll be working to get up and running."
The Hawaiian Cement strike began Feb. 7, and the one major sticking point throughout the negotiations was management's proposal that union members pay for 20 percent of their monthly medical premiums. In the end, Hawaiian Cement never moved off the medical insurance premium co-payment, but they did drop a proposed reduction in sick leave days, to nine from the current 18.
The company's proposal also offered a wage and pension increase package that totals $3.80 an hour -- a $1 hourly raise for the first year of the contract and 70-cent increases for each of the remaining four years. Most important, however, union officials said the company extended its offer to pay up to five years of retirees' medical coverage or until they reach an age that can be covered by Medicare.
"That's a real good proposal for our guys that are going to retire," said Teamsters negotiation committee member Patrick Quijano. "We fought real hard for it, and now we're going to take it back to the rank and file and they'll make the decision."
Coad said holding the ratification vote "as soon as possible" was one of three requests Hawaiian Cement officials made when they gave their proposal to the union yesterday. The other two requests were that the ratification vote be a secret ballot for members and that the vote be held at Hawaiian Cement's base of operations in Halawa Valley.
As of last night, Coad said he had not heard from the union about whether the company's requests on the ratification vote would be met, although he said a vote tomorrow would be "very timely."
According to sources, the union has chosen to hold the vote at Teamsters headquarters on Hart Street, but members will vote by secret ballot.
The state's construction industry has been without its main two sources of concrete since 144 Ameron Hawaii workers went on strike Feb. 6, followed by Hawaiian Cement the next day.
Since the strikes began, hundreds of construction workers have been laid off, and major projects have been put on hold because of the lack of concrete.
Ameron's sticking point in negotiations also revolves around the co-payment of medical monthly premiums, with management wanting employees to increase co-payments to 30 percent from 20 percent.
However, during the last round of negotiations Tuesday, the union moved off of its stance that Ameron employees pay nothing for their medical premiums and instead proposed paying 10 percent.
The company is expected to come back with its counterproposal today when both sides meet again at 2 p.m. at the Teamsters' headquarters.
Kahele said yesterday that he hopes the tentative agreement with Hawaiian Cement makes talks with Ameron go more easily, especially since the concrete strike is not over yet.
"Ameron's been unreasonable, and hopefully we can get back on the table and settle their strike," said Kahele. "For Hawaiian Cement ... again the committee didn't only look at our bargaining unit, they looked at the thousands of people that's being affected, so that's one of the primary reasons why they've accepted the company's final offer."
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More pay, but more
goes to health premiumsHawaiian Cement's proposal includes:
>> A $3.80-an-hour wage and pension increase over the next five years. Prior to the strike, union officials said the company was offering $1.20 in wage and pension increases. (Company officials said their new proposal is for a $1 raise the first year and 70 cent increases for the next four years. However, union officials said they had not decided how they would divide the increase over the five-year contract.)
>> Employees pay 20 percent of their monthly medical premiums, which had been one of the main sticking points in the negotiations.
>> A "bridge" in medical coverage for retirees in which the company would pay for the first five years of medical coverage for retirees or until they become eligible for Medicare, whichever comes first. The old proposal had the company paying for the first three years of retirees' medical coverage.
>> No change in sick leave benefits. Union officials said the company had wanted to cut the number of employee sick days in half, to nine from 18.
