Training for the Bargaining Table in Rhode Island

by Clyde Weiss  |  June 27, 2011

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER – Rhode Island Council 94 Exec. Dir. Ken DeLorenzo educates members about the challenges of collective bargaining in tough economic times during a training session in May. (Photo by Susan Petersen, Council 94)

One Saturday in May, approximately 40 rank-and-file members and leaders of AFSCME Council 94 gathered at the union’s headquarters in North Providence, RI. Their purpose: to learn about collective bargaining in an era of shrinking budgets and right-wing attacks on public service workers.

For Frank Landry, president of Newport City Employees Local 911, it was an eye-opener – and timely. After 26 years in the union, he was experiencing what he calls his “first bite of the apple” – his first contract negotiation. “At times it was a little intimidating for me,” he admits.

That’s why he eagerly sat through Council 94’s first training session, called “Bargaining in Tough Economic Times.” Council 94 Pres. J. Michael Downey kicked off the session, which covered topics such as “costing out” a contract proposal, pensions, legal issues and AFSCME’s PEOPLE program.

“Knowledge is key,” says Ken DeLorenzo, Council 94’s executive director, who proposed and helped conduct the session with support from the national union. He explains:

“The more you know about your own contract, the more you know about how collective bargaining works the more you know how pensions and health insurance works and how the laws in your own jurisdiction relate to collective bargaining, the better off you are.”

The training session began with the issue of “costing out” a contract – that is, determining the value of one man-hour, the value of health insurance, the worth of vacation leave, the costs of pension and health care, and similar factors. Knowing those details allows negotiators to establish what’s critical to fight for, and what’s less important to members.

“In easier economic times, costing out a contract is probably just as important, but easy to overlook because the economy is flowing,” says DeLorenzo. “Right now, however, the economy is stagnant, the banks aren’t loaning any money, people aren’t spending money, there’s less tax revenue. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Training also covered pensions. State and municipal governments are trying to convert defined benefit pension plans (typical pensions) into “defined contribution” or 401(k)-style plans that put all the risk on the worker to fund a decent retirement. “The members need to be able to explain to other members, and to their neighbors and friends, why defined contribution plans are inferior,” says DeLorenzo.

Landry says he’s glad he had the opportunity to learn about those things before sitting down at the bargaining table. “It’s been good.”