“We voted to ratify a new contract,” said Mark Terrill, business manager with UA Local 162. “It was the end of our new contract, and we had not come to a settlement yet. We were just looking for fair wages and benefits.”
About 500 local unit members went on strike, he said. About 150 walked picket lines each day.
“Everybody is back to work, and we’re pretty happy with the settlement,” Terrill said.
The strike began on the evening of June 1. The local did not publicize the strike while it happened.
“We were still pretty friendly and at the table,” Terrill added. “We just didn’t want to throw it out there in case it went sideways for either party.”
A form letter of intent found on Local 162′s website would have signatory companies agree to pay to all union-represented workers wage and benefit increases eventually agreed to between the union and the contractors association, retroactive to June 1, the beginning of the strike.
In exchange for that signature, the local unit agreed that in the event of a strike against the association, strike activity would not be directed at the contractor. “Union-represented workers will continue to be referred to jobs with contractor and will continue to work for contractor without interruption,” the form letter states.
The local includes members working in Montgomery, Greene, Preble, Darke, Miami, Clinton, Fayette, Clark and Champaign counties.
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