WEATHERSFIELD RMI workers vote to reject pact offer

Employees say they'll report to work, but a lockout is possible.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
WEATHERSFIELD -- Hundreds of RMI Titanium employees are not sure if they will be on the job Monday morning.
Members of the United Steelworkers of America Local 2155 and 2155-7 rejected a contract proposal from the company Saturday night by a vote of 177 to 110. The union represents about 400 hourly workers.
The company has called the contract its final offer.
Union President Todd Weddell said union members would like to continue working and negotiating with the company, but that might not be an option for the company. Weddell said the union has no plans to strike at this time.
"We are going to report to work as scheduled," he said.
Weddell said company representatives, at the last bargaining session, told union representatives that the workers would be locked out if the contract were rejected and employees show up for work Monday.
The company also has said union members would lose a $1,000 signing bonus if the contract were rejected.
Company representatives have said the company cannot wait any longer to make cost-cutting changes.
Dave Paull, RMI representative, would not comment on the contract or potential lockout except to say that "we are disappointed at the outcome of the vote. We made our position clear at the bargaining table."
According to Weddell, contract language regarding employees hired in the future may be one of the biggest sticking points in the negotiations. He said those future employees would be required to pay 20 percent of their health-care cost and the entire cost of dental and vision care. Current employees do not pay a portion of their health-care cost.
Weddell said future employees, under the contract, would also be paid $3 an hour less than current employees to start and would never reach a level of pay equivalent with current employees.
Weddell said he is surprised that language regarding future employees is an issue for the company.
"We have people laid off," he said. "I don't understand why that is such a big sticking point for the company."
The contract also would include a pay freeze for the three-year life of the agreement. Weddell said union members would likely accept "a modest increase in wages and some additions to our pensions."
Weddell said many union members are also concerned about "some very ambiguous language" in the contract that refers to various work areas at the plant. They want some clarification on those areas.
RMI officials have said the company needs the concessions to make the titanium mill competitive.
Weddell concedes that the company has lost money in the last two quarters but questions whether the company is in serious enough financial distress not to offer pay raises.
jgoodwin@vindy.com