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UAW Announces Contract Ratification at Mitsubishi

2 September 1998

UAW Announces Contract Ratification at Mitsubishi

    DETROIT, Sept. 1 -- UAW members in Local 2488 at the
Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America in Bloomington, Illinois have
ratified a new three year contract by an 83 percent majority, announced UAW
President Stephen P. Yokich, UAW Vice President Jack Laskowski and UAW Region
4 Director Paul Korman.
    Local 2488 members voted to ratify the agreement on Sunday, August 30, two
days after a tentative agreement was reached on Friday, August 28.
    "This overwhelming ratification vote underscores the satisfaction of the
membership with this fine new agreement and the work of the UAW bargaining
team," Yokich stated.
    "This was a challenging set of negotiations, but both sides preferred to
reach agreement without resorting to a strike," Laskowski noted, adding, "With
this new agreement in place, we can continue to work with Mitsubishi to
improve operations at Mitsubishi to the benefit of our membership and the
company."  Laskowski directs the UAW Transnationals Department and has led
negotiations at Mitsubishi in 1995 and again in 1998.
    "We made important advances in every area of the agreement, in wages and
benefits, and in health and safety and other issues concerning working
conditions," noted Korman, who directs UAW activities in Illinois and who also
took part in the negotiations.
    "This is a good agreement for our members, for the company and for the
community," Korman concluded.
    Highlights of the new agreement include:

    *  A three percent wage increase in September, 1998, Cost of Living
Adjustment (COLA) fold-in of 98 cents and wage pass throughs of 59 cents for
Production and 69 cents for Maintenance members.
    *  Further improvements in wages tied to gains in next year's Big Three
bargaining and quarterly COLA adjustments.
    *  Increase in health care coverage in the areas of prescription drugs,
vision care, dental benefits, immunizations, hearing aid benefits.
    *  A new "hold harmless" provision which requires the company to pay 100
percent of usual, reasonable and customary charges for health care out of the
network health care provider if the member is referred to the out of network
provider by a regular Preferred Provider Option (PPO) physician.
    *  Gains in life insurance, sickness and accident benefits, disability
benefits and long-term disability benefits.
    *  Pension and retiree health care gains, including a special retirement
"window" for those who are age 57 or older with seven or more years of
service, and a first-ever pension benefit increase for current retirees and
surviving spouses.
    *  Improvements in the 401(k) retirement plan and the Quality and
Efficiency Performance Improvement Plan (QEPIP).
    *  48 paid holidays, including a new Veterans' Day holiday beginning in
1999.
    *  Beneficial changes in transfers, overtime scheduling, protection of
bargaining unit work, anti-discrimination policies and other workplace
procedures.
    *  A new, joint activity fund to develop and implement education and
training programs.
    *  A new tuition assistance program that would provide up to $500 per year
in post-secondary tuition assistance for each dependent child or stepchild of
an active, retired or deceased UAW-Mitsubishi member.
    *  A new ergonomics program that includes union ergonomics evaluators,
reduction in the use of hazardous chemicals and exposures and other health and
safety issues.