By Dan Rudy
IBEW strike ends as parties return to negotiating table
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July 6, 2017
Submitted Illustration
These tables, provided to the Wrangell Assembly by the city's finance office during its FY18 budget workshop held last month, indicate the most recent hourly step and grade levels on the wage table for both unionized (top) and non-unionized (bottom) positions. In a decision made on June 20 adopting the city's last best offer to its public utilities union, beginning July 1 the bottom six steps of the upper table will be dropped with three added on at the top at an increase of two percent per step. Employees currently on the bottom six steps would be bumped up to the current Step 7. Taking effect last Saturday, a $0.75 pay increase was also added across the board. IBEW Local 1547 had rejected this offer on June 9, preferring its own proposal, the only difference being a $2.50 increase across the board. Following the end of workers' weeklong strike on June 28, the two parties are back at the negotiating table.
A strike called by public employees of Wrangell on June 22 only lasted a week, with workers taking up their posts again on June 29.
Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 had laid down its tools following a decision by the City and Borough Assembly on June 20 to implement a new contract after negotiations between the union and city's bargaining teams had reached an impasse. The two parties have been negotiating a collective bargaining agreement since the last one expired in the summer of 2014. The strike was the latest escalation in the proceedings, which...
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