MADISON, Wis. – TruStage workers represented by Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 39 said they have reached a tentative agreement with the company after 21 months of what they called “strained negotiations.” The deal includes a retroactive pay increase.
As CUToday.info has reported, the two parties have been negotiating a new labor deal since March of 2022. OPEIU, which represents approximately 400 TruStage employees, said its campaign, led by its Contract Action Team (CAT) have included marches, public rallies, member outreach and a two-week strike against TruStage in May of this year.
There has also been ongoing media coverage in Madison, Wis. over the impasse.
“This is by far the most participation we’ve had in a ratification vote at TruStage,” said Kathryn Bartlett-Mulvhill, president of OPEIU 39, “It shows how active our membership has been throughout this bargain.”
Added Mike Farwell, chief steward at TruStage and OPEIU 39 vice president, “We started by having regular meetings with our membership and we came up with five priorities: wages that keep up with inflation, protecting our access to remote work, maintaining our pension, getting a strong healthcare package, and making sure we had job security.”
Outsourced Jobs
According to OPEIU 39, more than 1,200 jobs have been outsourced by TruStage in recent years.
“This agreement made progress on our core priorities, and we felt confident recommending it to the membership,” said Sarah Larsen, a steward and member of the union’s bargaining committee, added, “We really enhanced the language protecting against discrimination and harassment. It really mattered to our group that we get this in writing from the company.”
Terms of Agreement
According to the union, the contract includes:
- Wage Increases: 15.5% retroactive to 2022, and 13.25% over the next four years
- Remote work enshrined in the contract, plus a monthly allowance for expenses
- Pension maintained through the life of the contract
- Health insurance: Protected integrity of existing HMO plan
- Job Security: Additional TruStage workers will be brought under the union’s “protection and representation.”