East Boulder union workers approve contract (Miners and support staff)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/07/09/news/state/34-strike.txt

By LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA
Of The Gazette Staff

EAST BOULDER - Miners and support staff at the East Boulder mine south of Big Timber have voted to approve a new 4-year contract with Stillwater Mining Co.

Jim Williams, president of the Steelworkers International 11-001 said the vote tally was completed minutes after midnight this morning.

"It was close," he said, declining to offer an exact count. Of the 420-plus union members, 399 cast ballots, he said.

The new contract, which includes a 4 percent across-the-board raise for each year of the contract, varies little from its predecessor. However, Williams said, some of the issues important to union members came only as a result of negotiations.

The new contract maintained the existing level of benefits and the former incentive program for support staff, although the latter came with some modifications. According to Williams, SMC had wanted to make drastic changes to the incentive program, which is now based on more concrete criteria.

"We believe it's more line-of-sight with the workers and the company can see the tangible effects," he said.


FULL story at link.