Local 4-753 members ratified a new three-year agreement with the 3M Meriden, Conn., plant on Nov. 9 by a 3-1 margin. The contract includes wage increases and other improvements to working conditions.
“I firmly believe that we now have a better contract than the previous one,” said Local 4-753 President Mike Laurelo. “It is fairer to the workforce, we were able to get a few little extras passed, and we did not give up a lot in return.”
Workers will receive a 2.5 percent wage increase each year. The local also negotiated increased pay for trainers on top of their regular pay, and each trainer will have only one trainee now.
For the 40 workers who have a defined benefit pension, the yearly multiplier will increase from $40 to $46 by the end of the contract term.
Other negotiated improvements include an extra personal day, removal of an attendance occurrence after 30 days instead of 60, fewer contingent workers, and contract language on the right to refuse a job if a worker thinks it is unsafe.
“I believe that the new contract will make overtime distribution fairer and equitable and boost morale by addressing the pension plan,” Laurelo said.
He said union negotiators also modified the attendance policy by making it easier to remove half points.
“We made new policy so that the union is involved in plant safety decisions and employee attendance reviews in order to address an attendance problem before it becomes an issue,” Laurelo added.
The contract settlement comes at a time when business is expanding rapidly for the 3M Meriden plant, which makes metal filters for military equipment, filters for pharmaceutical companies like Regeneron Pharmaceutical for use in its research work, and filtration systems for residences, industry and the commercial food business.
Laurelo said the site is about to become a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week operation and is training workers for a weekend crew.
Membership increased from 76 members last winter to 98 members in November, and the local expects more hiring to occur.