'Sweat' Brings First Contract

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

"Our blood, sweat and tears paid off!" a jubilant Keith Jackson, president of Local 2730 (Council 72) exclaimed on learning that his co-workers at Bellefontaine Habilitation Center ratified their first contract. "This is definitely historic."

Workers at 13 other locations in the city also celebrated the good news. Altogether, some 5,000 patient care workers at state mental health and veterans facilities — the first to join AFSCME after the governor established collective bargaining two years ago — will now be getting solid raises and other benefits. Among the provisions of the three-year contract: an immediate 3.2 percent raise; 2 percent across-the-board wage increase effective July 1, 2004, with a 4 percent raise for the 75 percent of the unit in "critical class" jobs. Workers will also have the option of receiving overtime pay rather than compensatory time, and the state will bear a higher percentage of health insurance premiums.

Workers sent a loud message in May when the bargaining team walked out of a session and members conducted "in your face" actions at several department offices. Members bolstered those actions with a two-day telephone barrage leveled at the governor's office plus a demonstration that saw 300 state workers pack a hearing room.

By 5:30 on election morning at Bellefontaine, more than 100 workers had lined up to cast their contract ballots — despite management's last-minute effort to limit the hours for voting. Statewide, of the 61 percent of eligibles who voted, 98 percent said "Yes." In addition, more than 250 workers joined the union during the two weeks leading up to the contract battle.

As patient care workers celebrated their triumph, another unit of 1,800 crafts and maintenance workers began negotiations for its first contract, which will cover workers in nine departments. Earlier this year, they voted by a 60 percent margin to form a union with AFSCME.

— Jon Melegrito