We bargain the major items in our contract together with other USW Bridgestone locals and site-specific issues locally with our USW Staff Rep and plant management.
Local 7L – Akron, Ohio
Local 310L – Des Moines, Iowa
Local 787L – Bloomington, Ill.
Local 884L – Russellville, Ark.
Local 1155L – Warren County, Tenn.
Collective bargaining is the legal process for reaching an agreement between our union and the company over issues impacting our workplace including wages, hours of work, paid time off, benefits, job security, seniority and health and safety.
Both the company and union will draft and discuss proposals. The union’s proposals are based on feedback from our membership. We request information related to the company’s proposals and provide explanations to help management understand the impacts of proposals on our members. Both sides will caucus (meet separately), make counter proposals, test ideas and look for ways to bridge differences and find common ground. The goal is to reach an agreement that is beneficial for both our membership and the company.
During negotiations, we can discuss any issues affecting the workplace. They generally fall into one of two categories:
Economic:
Non-Economic:
Our power comes from you – our members. The company isn’t going to just give us anything – they never have and never will. We build our bargaining power by sticking together and showing the company that we stand behind our bargaining committee.
By sharing information and participating in solidarity actions, we show management we’re willing to stand up to defend our contract.
Neither side will get 100 percent of what they put on the table, but the more management sees us united, the more power we’ll have to win on the issues important to USW members.
Once the Bargaining Committee reaches a “Tentative Agreement” (TA), they will bring it back to the membership to vote to ratify. Members will receive a detailed summary of the TA and have an opportunity to meet with our local union leadership. All union members in good standing will be eligible to vote.