Local 101 members stand strong, win solid contract at National Grid

Workers at National Grid (formerly, Brooklyn Union Gas), members of TWU Local 101, have won a solid contract after standing up to company giveback demands.

London-based management had threatened to close the local unionized call center and move to a non-union location upstate unless TWU Local 101 met a list of demands, starting with a $9/hour starting wage. But Local 101 and its members had another idea.

The evening before the contract deadline, hundreds of Local 101 members braved the rain to give a loud NO to management demands. Importantly, every trade in the Local was present, making it clear that they stood as one.

IB ImageLocal 100 turned out to support our brothers and sisters, as did contingents from Utility Workers Local 1-2 (Con Ed), USWA and IBEW. Executive VP Harry Lombardo of the TWU International joined Local 101 President Marsha Spinowitz in praising the gathering for its spirit.

Following the rally, negotiations continued all night and into the next day. The results? The call center stays, with job guarantees. No $9/hour starting wage. No layoffs. Instead, employees who would like to move on will have an opportunity for voluntary separation. And in areas from wages to health to job titles, no change for the worse and several changes for the better.

IB ImageConditions at a profitable utility may be different than in many other sectors, but our brothers and sisters at Local 101 have demonstrated a lesson that cuts across industries: an effective fightback starts with standing as one.