IAM Local 2741 members joined District 19 leadership at the Winpisinger Center to prepare for upcoming contract talks with Alstom.
The Negotiating Committee for IAM New York Local 2741 workers at Alstom recently completed the Negotiating Preparation for Bargaining Committees Program at the IAM’s Winpisinger Center in Hollywood, MD.
The week-long class included training in analyzing company strengths and weaknesses, strategic planning, drafting contract language and presenting proposals. The class culminated with a negotiation simulation to give the committee a realistic sense of what to expect at the bargaining table.
The five member negotiating committee was joined by District Lodge 19 AP/DGC John Lacey, General Chairman Gary Naylor and Communications Director Jacob King. This negotiations preparation class was a first for District 19.
“I would like to thank General Vice President Sito Pantoja and Chief of Staff Joe Tiberi for helping us put this class together,” said Naylor. “The request was put in just before Christmas and here we are not even midway through January already having the class.”
“This is an amazing place that every member should really take advantage of,” said Local 2741 Vice President Curtis Craft. “There is just a wealth of knowledge and the staff is here to help us in any way they can. The coursework we received this week definitely made us more prepared and a big part of it too is that we learned to work together as a group. I feel more confident. We are in a lot better shape than when we got here last week.”
Local 2741 represents nearly 300 members who work for Alstom in Hornell, NY. The group builds trains for commuter and passenger railroads. The committee will begin negotiations with Alstom next month.
