Labor Union Preparing for Contract Negotiations With CNS
Staff Reports
NS&D Monitor
2/13/2015
Union leaders at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant are closely watching the bargaining-unit negotiations taking place at their sister plant, Pantex, and preparing for the beginning of negotiations in Oak Ridge later this spring. The Metal Trades Department contract at Pantex expires Feb. 16, whereas the Atomic Trades and Labor Council’s agreement at Y-12 doesn’t expire until June 22. Both of the nuclear weapons plants are now managed by Bechtel-led Consolidated Nuclear Security under a combined management and operations contract with the National Nuclear Security Administration that went into effect July 1, 2014.
Steve Jones, president of the ATLC, said the Oak Ridge union leaders are interested in what takes place at Pantex and will monitor it closely, although he said the two contracts are significantly different. What happens at one site won’t necessary happen at the other, Jones said. The ATLC leader said no talks have started in Oak Ridge, noting that CNS officials are likely tied up at Pantex. “We’ll send them a letter 60 days out, requesting to bargain,” Jones said.
The Y-12 union contract was extended last year by 12 months by former contractor B&W Y-12 in order to give the new contractor more time for transition before negotiating a new pact. CNS recently began negotiations with the Trades Department at Pantex on a new contract for 1,100 hourly workers there. The ATLC represents about 1,600 union workers at Y-12.
Benefits Concerns
At Oak Ridge, there has been considerable grumbling about the benefit changes – and reductions – that have occurred since CNS took over the management contract. Those changes, however, haven’t yet affected the hourly workers because of their protection under the existing contract. Jones said Y-12 being out of compliance with DOE 350.1 – which restricts the amount of money a contractor can spend on benefits – wouldn’t necessarily force the union to make concessions to comply with the rules. “Of course, we have to take it into consideration, but we’ll look for a way to minimize the impact — anything to minimize the impact to the current workforce,” the labor leader said. “I’m just kind of waiting to see what they (CNS) come up with,” he said.
