Concrete strike
talks continueThe Teamsters union will respond
today to Ameron's latest offer
Union negotiators for Ameron Hawaii's 144 striking concrete workers will return to the bargaining table this morning with a counterproposal to the company's most recent offer.
CORRECTION
Friday, April 2, 2003>> Ameron Hawaii is offering striking Teamsters Local 996 members an hourly wage increase of $3.80 in a five-year contract. A story on Page A12 in yesterday's early edition incorrectly stated that the wage increase was $3.80 in the first year of a five-year contract.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.Ameron's proposal, handed over in negotiations yesterday, is almost identical to a March 18 "last, best and final" offer that the union refused to send to its membership for a vote. The move stalled contract talks for more than two weeks.
Despite making little movement yesterday, Ameron and Teamsters Local 996 officials emerged from two hours of talks pledging to work together toward a resolution in the concrete workers' 55-day strike.
"We are willing to continue to negotiate," said Teamsters President Mel Kahele. "We're hoping ... that the company will seriously accept (the union's counterproposal) so that we can get back to work."
Kahele, though, also called the company's latest offer "a classic case of regressive bargaining."
The company's latest proposal includes a $3.80 hourly wage increase in the first year of a five-year contract and also seeks a 30 percent medical co-payment. Workers now make a 20 percent co-payment. But the company withdrew an option in its offer for union members to accept the wage and medical co-payment increases in the contract's third year.
George West, Ameron's vice president of operations for the islands, said the talks "went very well." The two sides are expected to begin today's negotiations at 10 a.m.
Ameron Hawaii provides more than half of the island's concrete.
Workers at Hawaiian Cement returned to work March 22 after their 42-day strike and are working more than 60-hour weeks to meet the company's backlog.
Included in yesterday's negotiations were Ameron International Vice Presidents Terry O'Shea and Bill Smith, who flew in from Pasadena, Calif.
West said the two men spoke to union officials about the latest proposal, "reaffirming our position through the corporate representatives." O'Shea and Smith also talked about Ameron International's recent deals in two mainland labor disputes.
On Monday, striking workers at the company's piping plant in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., agreed to a new contract. A similar strike at the company's plant in Etiwanda, Calif., ended Friday. West said both contracts included a 30 percent medical co-payment premium, which Kahele has said is unacceptable for Ameron workers.
