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| Front row, from left: James Neureuther, Chief Steward; Scott Givan, Steward; and Peter Cooney, Business Representative. Back row: Richard Tatarski, Steward; Scott Gorko, Steward; Louis Guidi, Steward; and Frederic Fineour, Steward. |
Members of the Negotiating Committee for IAM Local 330 in Cheektowaga, NY, along with members from District 65, participated in the Negotiation Preparation for Bargaining Committees program at the William W. Winpisinger (WWW) Center in Hollywood, MD.
Local 330 represents employees at Ingersoll Rand, where members build custom centrifugal compressors. Their current contract expires August 3, 2015 and the negotiators recognize that this promises to be a difficult round of negotiations. The Committee strategized to map a new direction for relations with the company, put better language into the contract and build solidarity in the bargaining unit.
“Every bargaining committee in the IAM should consider spending a week attending the Negotiation Preparation Program,” said District 65 Business Representative Peter B. Cooney. “Although you are cramming what seems like a month’s worth of information, tactics and bargaining simulation into one week, there is no doubt that every minute spent is extremely valuable. You will leave far better prepared for your negotiations.”
“This program gave us a lot of information to digest in one week, but our committee came away with a much better understanding of the actual workings of the contract negotiating process,” said Ingersoll Rand Chief Steward Jim Neureuther.
