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IAM Local 1363 members who work for the Catholic Diocese in Youngstown, Ohio recently ratified their first contract. It was a collective bargaining agreement that had been 16 months in the making.
“This agreement represents not only improved terms, but also the beginning of a renewed commitment to job responsibilities, accountability, and employment security,” said IAM Local 1363 Business Representative Robert Towslee.
“While the process included moments of disagreement and outside anti-union efforts, we remained steadfast and focused on our shared goals,” said IAM Local 1363 Directing Business Representative Timothy Verlinden. “Together, we achieved fair resolutions on wages, benefits, time-off accruals, and holidays.”
The Catholic Diocese in Youngstown serves more than 117,000 Catholics in 67 parishes and one mission in northeast Ohio. It also serves over 17,000 school children in 30 schools run by the diocese.
The IAM represents roughly 30 workers for the diocese, all working at the four cemeteries run by the diocese.
Workers saw wage increases from 35% to 3% based on their speciality and current wage rate. The diocese agreed to 13 fully paid holidays each year. A new joint company/worker health and safety committee was established. Most importantly to the workers, all of the existing employment benefits, including personal days, sick leave, robust vacation accrual, and retirement benefits, were maintained in the new agreement.
“Standing up for your rights as workers for the first time is always challenging. I am so proud of these members of Local 1363 and what they have achieved with solidarity,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “We look forward to more justice on the job for themselves and their families, and more job growth through unionism in the future.”
