March 17, 2014

PRO FORCE NEGOTIATIONS GET UNDERWAY AT PANTEX

By ExchangeMonitor

Representatives from the Pantex Guards Union and Pantex M&O contractor B&W Pantex began negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement yesterday, though the sides eased into the talks with discussions on non-economic issues. The union’s agreement with B&W Pantex expires June 10, and along with the Savannah River Site, Pantex is one of two NNSA sites where collective bargaining agreement negotiations are currently taking place. A spokesman for B&W Pantex declined to comment on the start of the negotiations, and union officials were unavailable for comment. Pantex guards went on strike in 2007 for about six weeks, and union officials previously have told NW&M Monitor that morale among guards continues to be a problem and many of the same issues that were a concern then still remain: retirement, career longevity, physical requirements, and benefits.

At Savannah River, the CBA between contractor WSI-Savannah River and United Professional Pro-Force of Savannah River Local 125 expires April 30, and while negotiations between the two sides have been going on for several weeks, economic proposals were exchanged for the first time last week and negotiations on economic issues will begin for the first time today, according to union president Martin Hewitt. Hewitt said the union is intent on protecting wages and benefits for its members, and he said he was “somewhat optimistic” that an agreement would be reached. “We both know what has to be done, both sides, and the [union negotiating] committee is well aware of what we have to do to get to a middle ground. It still remains to be seen, but I’ve got to be optimistic about it. We’re just getting started. We know where we need to be as far as bottom line issues.” He declined to offer specifics about the union’s bottom line positions.

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