Catherwood LibraryILR School

1,250 United Steelworkers members in two local unions in Massachusetts have been on lock-out strike for three months in tense labor negotiations with National Grid, a British utility company, with two of the most contentious demands involving benefits most workers today no longer have. The unions are holding strong in trying to maintain a company-funded pension retirement plan for its new hires rather than a 401k retirement plan; they are also refusing to agree to a new health care plan that would raise costs substantially for employees. The unions’ insistence on not having a two-tiered system – one for current employees and one for new hires – in order to not incur resentment among workers, may hurt the unions’ bargaining potential in a time of waning union power. Union leaders are refusing to budge, however, saying they are doing this not just for themselves, but for “organized labor everywhere.” Locked-out workers are picketing company facilities, holding demonstrations, heckling replacement workers, and documenting numerous safety violations by inexperienced contractors and supervisors now doing the jobs, with almost 100 alleged safety violations being reported to the Department of Public Utilities. The locked-out workers are getting unemployment at half their base salary, but have no health insurance. The company’s lock-out after the contract expired this year is being challenged with the National Labor Relations Board.