Yale breaks tradition of contention settling contracts six months early

[Omaha Steve]

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http://www.laborradio.org/Channels/Story.aspx?ID=1733005

7/4/2012

This report was made possible in part by a grant from the Berger-Martks Foundation.

In New Haven, the 4,700 workers in Locals 34 and 35 at Yale University have settled new four-year contracts, six months before their previous contracts expired. Melinda Tuhus explains how a university that had decades of contentious labor relations has turned into a model of cooperation and civility.
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This was the second contract in a row that was settled with no public discussion, no name-calling, and no national leaders like Jesse Jackson flying in to walk a picket line. The two unions showed their support for the new contract by unanimous voice vote last week.

The deal includes an almost 15 percent wage hike over the four years of the contract. In addition, the 1,200 members of Local 35, which represents maintenance and dining hall workers, won a no-layoff clause. Both unions, including Local 34, representing 3,500 clerical and technical workers, will continue to get free family health coverage.

Bob Proto, who's worked at Yale for 39 years and been president of Local 35 for 18 years, explains what changed.

Cut :09 In 2003 we decided to heal our dysfunctional relationship and we did a lot of work and approached negotiations in a problem-solving way.

Yale is New Haven's biggest employer, and many of its workers live in the city. Proto says these settlements will have a positive impact on the New Haven community, raising living standards and boosting the local economy.

Laurie Kennington has been president of Local 34 since 2010, coming to the job from a full-time organizing position with the Local. Though she hasn't been around as long as Proto, she's seen her share of strikes and dysfunction. Besides the good wages and benefits, she says the new contracts expands job possibilities both for current employees and future ones.

Cut :22 There's a number of different initiatives to help internal hiring; there's a number of different initiatives to make it easier to upgrade your job; and all around, we're also opening up entry-level positions for a New Haven jobs pipeline for members of the New Haven community to have better access to jobs at Yale.

Both unions have worked with Yale administration on best practices over the past several years. Kennington adds,

Cut :14 There's really been an effort made for each party to understand the other's interest and be able to work collaboratively on a solution. So, for example, health care costs -- it's actually something both sides agree, we should try to contain those costs.

In a press statement released after the unanimous votes, Yale president Rick Levin, who's been in office almost two decades, said, “These agreements recognize the outstanding contribution to Yale’s mission provided by the 4,700 members of Locals 34 and 35 throughout the University. The contracts will allow us to continue to attract and retain the talented and dedicated staff who help make Yale one of the world’s greatest universities. We are pleased to extend the cooperative working relationship with our unions that began nearly a decade ago.”

Melinda Tuhus, Workers Independent News.