 |
| Workers Uniting delegates give
presentations |
28 July 2010
Steelworkers and Unite representatives met in Boston, Massachusetts
today to build their relationship at common employer National Grid.
They also planned for a meeting with the company the following
day.
Three Unite representatives joined twenty five
USW members and staff to share information and develop joint plans.
Together, Unite and USW have over two thousand members working for
National Grid.
The agenda for the meeting included discussion
of each union’s membership at the company, bargaining structures,
labor agreements and current issues.
Much of the discussion focused on health and
safety standards at National Grid. Unite representatives presented
information about a number of important health and safety
initiatives supported by National Grid in the UK which USW
representatives pointed out were not supported by National Grid in
the U.S.
“Today’s meeting with Unite was incredibly
useful,” said Steve Finnigan, USW Sub Director responsible for
negotiations with National Grid. “We not only strengthened the
bonds between our unions. We also identified key areas where health
and safety standards at National Grid are better in the UK than in
the U.S.”
“We will meet with senior leadership of
National Grid tomorrow and urge them to make changes to demonstrate
they are committed to the health and safety of their workers around
the globe,” said Michael Tuff, Unite officer responsible for
National Grid.