The Company and the Union Bargaining Committee met last week to exchange initial proposals for non-economic items.  The committee presented proposals for improvements to a number of provisions, including bereavement leave, holiday compensation language, promotion rights, and other changes.  The Union also proposed to improve the labor grades of several job classifications and the ability for OPEIU members to telecommute.

The Company is proposing changes to several articles, including the Attendance Control Program, hours of work and overtime, personal business, bereavement, the grievance procedure, and employee discipline.  The Company is also proposing changes to many job classifications, including combinations of some classifications they view as similar.

Negotiations will resume Monday, September 13^th at 9:00 AM.

The September membership meeting will not take place due to the Labor Day holiday.  The next general membership meeting will be Monday, October 4, 2021.

Local 277 has successfully negotiated and the renewal of the COVID-19 and Situational Telecommuting Agreement through October 24, 2021. Below you will find the original bargaining demand from April 2020 along with the Company’s backdated original agreement and subsequent extensions.

• Telecommuting Memo
• COVID Request to Bargain
• OPEIU MOU
• extension dated 6/22
• extension dated 9/24
• extension dated 12/9
• extension dated 1/25
• extension dated 8/2

The Local 277 bargaining team agreed to terms on a new 3-year agreement securing substantial improvements for the Marketing Specialists working for AIL and NILICO.  Highlights include general wage increases in each year of the contract, no increases to health insurance costs, and a nearly 20% increase to the pension multiplier over the life of the contract.  Improvements were also made to minimum compensation, reimbursements, lead credits for both originals and renewals, holiday bonuses, group life insurance coverage, and the Joint Management and Labor scholarship.   The bargaining team included DeAundra Cephus, Tim O’Connor, David Scalisi, and Tyler Turner.

In a historic vote held Monday, June 28, 2021, the members of Local 277 working for the AIL Home Office in Waco, Texas, overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year agreement.  The bargaining committee secured record general wage increases in each year, no increase to employee insurance costs, and a nearly 20% increase to the pension multiplier over the life of the agreement.  The committee also bargained substantial improvements to shift differentials, bilingual pay, promotion increases, overtime accruals, and the holiday bonus.  Perhaps the most significant non-economic item the union was able to bargain was work-life balance.  Employees may now choose from three different weekly work schedules that best fit their needs and telecommute, where the classification allows.  The Local 277 bargaining committee included DeAundra Cephus, Debbie Engelke, Terry Harrison, LaShun Hawkins, Dave Jones, Tonia Stonum, and Tyler Turner.