August 24, 2014
August 19th through 21st the parties met in Chicago under the direction of Federal Mediator Gerry McGuckin. On the 19th the parties were briefed by Mediator McGuckin on the negotiations process moving forward.
The parties then began the week by reviewing each party’s respective open items lists. A combined list of these open items and respective party positions was given to the mediator after this review. The parties then reviewed Articles line by line to ensure any new language accurately reflected what had been agreed to in previous sessions.
At the end of the week the parties TA’d final language on two Articles and reached agreement in principle on final language in 201 paragraphs and sub paragraphs covering nine other Articles. The Articles TA’d were: Board of Arbitration – (Article 20) and Apprentice Mechanics (Article 23).
The other Articles containing the finalized language paragraphs were Definitions (Article 2), Filling of Vacancies (Article 5), Reduction in Force (RIF) and Recall (Article 6), Holidays (Article 8), Field Trips (Article 12), Union Security (Article 18), Grievance Procedure (Article 19), General & Miscellaneous (Article 21) and Transportation (Article 22).
Mediator McGuckin was pleased with the work at the end of the week accomplished by the parties and thanked the negotiators for performing this very important step in the process. The progress made this week puts the parties in a much better position to begin passing comprehensive economic proposals in the next few sessions.
Negotiating sessions were scheduled for one week each month through year’s end in various locations, beginning with a short session at The National Mediation Board HQ in Washington, DC on September 11th and 12th. October’s sessions will be held in Chicago the 20th through the 24th with future locations to be determined. Tentatively the November session will be held during the week of the 17th and the December session will be held the week of the 8th.
