Despite a vote by its 10,000 members authorizing the leadership of Service Employees International Union Local 254 to call a strike after its contract with the Maintenance Contractors of New England (MCNE) expired Saturday, the union held lengthy talks on Monday and has agreed to delay a strike at least until after the end of today?s day shift. At issue in the negotiations are the union?s demands for raises for workers who make as little as $6.50 an hour, improved health benefits, and assignment to full-time work of many of its 8,000 members who are employed only part time and do not receive health insurance. If the union does strike, it has made it clear that it would target specific high profile office buildings to maximize its leverage, and has secured promises from the Teamsters? union that its members will not cross Local 524 picket lines to deliver packages or collect garbage in the event of a strike.
See HIAWATHA BRAY, The Boston Globe, September 2, 2002