You could say that, because we looked in our crystal ball, we were actually able to negotiate revolutionary changes in the collective agreement to protect jobs in the event of technological change. With some foresight, we have put in place a re-employment process for workers whose jobs disappeared in 1977 as a result of technological change. In our 1978-80 contract, a two-year arbitration award, the arbitrator proposed that the union increase a percentage/plus the minimum wage. Overall, this increased by 6.5% in the first year to correct low wages before they were allowed to negotiate collective agreements. It was also a creative and unique approach to achieving a fair wage increase in a bargaining unit of different classifications and rates of pay. The union concluded negotiations for a new joint employment assessment plan and a pay-equity equity plan. The results brought pay increases for more than 800 employees, no loss of pay for a member and new pay scales that moved hundreds more quickly toward their maximum salary. In total, the agreement provided $10 million, including $900,000 in salary capital adjustments. During the collective bargaining in the spring of 1999, the parties rewrote the entire collective agreement. After three months of gruelling negotiations, the collective agreement was approved by an overwhelming majority by 90% of the members. The agreement was also remarkable in that the union committed to continue to work on issues that were not resolved at the negotiating table: spending policy, the disability management program and attendance appropriations.
Our 2005 bargaining team negotiated the 2005-2008 collective agreement, which included countries that included an example of language of work, entrenched retirement language, significant increase in employment benefits, evaluation of internal staff for advertising opportunities and a salary increase of nearly 8%. The treaty was ratified by a yes of 89%. In addition to the many revolutionary provisions of our collective agreements, Jones will remain the best memory of a negotiated philosophy or approach that allowed Local 1750 to address the dramatic imbalances that existed in our pay scales, particularly with respect to entry positions.