USW Wins $20 million Award for Government Employees

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Our union just secured a major victory for public sector workers that commits the government to immediately seek the funding to pay USW members over $20 million in owed back pay!

In 2009, the union won a master labor agreement with the Government of the Virgin Islands. Under the agreement, bargaining unit employees were to receive a step increase in pay AND an across the board raise every year from 2009-2012. This means all bargaining unit members should have received a raise in October 2009, October 2010, October 2011 and October 2012. However, the Government of the Virgin Islands violated our contract by refusing to implement any of these raises.

Our union fought hard to correct this injustice. We filed grievances and took them all the way through the arbitration process, insisting that our members receive the back pay you’re entitled to by our contract.

The Union’s persistence paid off, and the Government of the Virgin Islands conceded that the Union was 100% correct. The Government has now agreed that it owes public workers more than $20.4 million in back pay. The Union and the Government entered into a Consent Award requiring the Government to seek appropriation of the money owed from the Legislature and to get the funds to the affected workers.

The Senate of the Virgin Islands has already indicated that they will include the funds in the upcoming fiscal year budget. Our union will be watching to make sure that the necessary funds are appropriated by the Legislature. The Legislature must now meet its obligations to pay public workers what the Government has agreed that we are owed.

We’ll keep you updated as this progresses and share information as soon as we have it on how to file a claim.

This is a win for workers and demonstrates the power of a union contract. Our fight continues to negotiate new agreements. To show your support, wear our union colors on Fridays!

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