Labor Updates (12/21/07)

GW PT Faculty Finally Get Pact: After a long organizing, legal and negotiating struggle, part-time faculty at George Washington University have finally achieved a tentative pact with "salary increases, job security, benefit improvements, an open and transparent evaluation process, faculty rights and other measures," according to a report on SEIU 500's website. Children's Center Workers Get New Contract: A tentative contract has been reached for 400 workers at National Children's Center; the settlement, reached Thursday night, would provide annual wage increases of 3% over the 3-year contract, with full union security for the SEIU 500 members. The Mouse Shares The Cheese: NABET-CWA - which represents 2,500 technicians, camera operators, news writers and other employees in New York City, DC, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles -- has reached a tentative four-year contract with ABC-Disney that preserves members' pensions and blocks givebacks demanded by the network. Most members will see raises of 3.5 percent immediately, followed by 3 percent in April 2008, 3 percent in April 2009 and 3.5 percent in the contract's final year. The contract also includes improvements for daily hires, including making some frequent daily hires eligible for health care coverage and other benefits through Disney's Signature Benefit Plans. Click here for details. CWA Walks Away From Verizon Talks: The Communications Workers of America broke off early negotiations with Verizon on December 11. "The Union determined that given the Company's demands for health care concessions for both active members and retirees and without any agreement on any key Union demands, there is no realistic movement towards a successful agreement," said CWA.