Anheuser-Busch Makes Final Contract Offer to Employees Represented by Teamsters; Increased Wages and Pensions Included; Job Security for Current Employees.ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 1998--Anheuser-Busch negotiators today presented a final contract offer which boosts wages and benefits for some 8,000 Anheuser-Busch brewery employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Teamsters large, powerful union of U. S. truckers. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 2703] See : Labor . It also ensures job security for these employees, company officials said. "Our major objective in these negotiations has been to enhance job security for current Anheuser-Busch employees," said William L. Rammes, Vice President, Corporate Human Resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. . "Our contract offer does that in a number of ways, including improving brewery operating performance. It also includes an 11.5 percent pay increase and improvements to pensions that were already at the top of the industry. "To put it simply, we've made the best jobs in America better," Rammes summarized. Economics Anheuser-Busch employees covered by this contract already average some $60,000 a year in wages, including overtime. That would improve with this contract offer. The wage increases in this contract would take base pay to roughly $23.30 an hour over the five-year contract, representing a more than $5,000 annual increase in base pay to $48,460. The employee who works 15% overtime would see a $6,400 annual increase, earning $66,000. Benefits already add more than $22 an hour to that base wage. Under the contract proposal, that would climb to $25, bringing total compensation including wages, fringes and overtime to over $48 an hour. Pensions are improved for all employees covered by the contract. At all breweries employee pensions, when coupled with Social Security and 401-K distributions, will provide retirees with an annual income greater than their base wages while working. Pensions alone provided by Anheuser-Busch will provide 70 percent of base wages, while the average for American industry is 35 percent. Each employee can receive up to $1,000 annually in bonuses if his or her brewery meets attendance and safety goals. In addition, each employee will receive a $1,000 payment if the company s offer is ratified rat·i·fy tr.v. rat·i·fied, rat·i·fy·ing, rat·i·fies To approve and give formal sanction to; confirm. See Synonyms at approve. within 30 days. If ratification The confirmation or adoption of an act that has already been performed. A principal can, for example, ratify something that has been done on his or her behalf by another individual who assumed the authority to act in the capacity of an agent. occurs within 30 days, wage increases and pension contributions would be retroactive Having reference to things that happened in the past, prior to the occurrence of the act in question. A retroactive or retrospective law is one that takes away or impairs vested rights acquired under existing laws, creates new obligations, imposes new duties, or attaches a to March 1. "This economic offer is worth $100 million over the life of the contract," Rammes said. Job Security The proposal includes a number of measures to enhance job security for current employees. Among them is a pledge from the company that -- barring new or increased beer excise taxes excise taxes, governmental levies on specific goods produced and consumed inside a country. They differ from tariffs, which usually apply only to foreign-made goods, and from sales taxes, which typically apply to all commodities other than those specifically exempted. -- it will keep all 12 of its current breweries open for the five-year term of the contract if the offer is submitted by mail ballot with a neutral or positive recommendation from union leadership and is approved without a work stoppage stoppage - /sto'p*j/ Extreme lossage that renders something (usually something vital) completely unusable. "The recent system stoppage was caused by a fried transformer." . "Our 1994 contract already included Job Security Articles and we have enhanced them in this offer," Rammes said. "We go out of our way to avoid permanent layoffs. Even so, this proposal gives employees faced with a permanent layoff Layoff 1. When a company eliminates jobs regardless of how good the employees' performance. 2. A risk reduction, made by investment bankers, that minimizes the potential downside associated with a commitment to purchase and sell a stock issue unsubscribed by stockholders holding greater options in terms of transfers and retirement enhancements." The company withdrew a proposal that would have allowed senior employees to voluntarily sell back the seventh and eighth week of their vacations because it had been misunderstood mis·un·der·stood v. Past tense and past participle of misunderstand. adj. 1. Incorrectly understood or interpreted. 2. as an attempt to reduce the size of the workforce. "Our intent with this proposal was solely to offer an attractive option for many employees," Rammes said. "It was not intended to, nor do we believe it would have reduced the size of the workforce. That certainly was not the purpose of the proposal. But we changed our position because we wanted to demonstrate that we are committed to doing all we can to protect the future job security of our current employees." Real long term job security for all employees comes through improved company performance, Rammes noted. Attendance Throughout negotiations the company has identified the need to improve attendance. The absentee One who has left, either temporarily or permanently, his or her domicile or usual place of residence or business. A person beyond the geographical borders of a state who has not authorized an agent to represent him or her in legal proceedings that may be commenced against him or her rate among the workforce covered by this contract is more than twice the national average for American industry. "Most of our employees are conscientious con·sci·en·tious adj. 1. Guided by or in accordance with the dictates of conscience; principled: a conscientious decision to speak out about injustice. 2. and come to work regularly," Rammes explained. "They would see little or no impact from the proposals we ve made. We want to discourage those who abuse the system." Overtime would be paid any time an employee works more than eight hours a day. However, if an employee had a non-qualified absence during the week and works on Saturday or Sunday, premium pay would start after the employee has worked at straight time pay the number of hours of the non-qualified absence. Qualified absences include sick days, holidays, jury duty, bereavement Bereavement Definition Bereavement refers to the period of mourning and grief following the death of a beloved person or animal. The English word bereavement leave, vacation and a number of other absences, including time off for union business. Those employees who worked their regular schedule or had qualified absences will be given first eligibility for weekend and holiday overtime work. Multi-Plant Grievance griev·ance n. 1. a. An actual or supposed circumstance regarded as just cause for complaint. b. A complaint or protestation based on such a circumstance. See Synonyms at injustice. 2. The company and the union agreed to several changes in the multi- plant grievance procedures A term used in Labor Law to describe an orderly, established way of dealing with problems between employers and employees. Through the grievance procedure system, workers' complaints are usually communicated through their union to management for consideration by the employer. which are included in the final offer. Fees, location and improved hearing procedures are addressed. The final offer also addresses procedures to speed up hearings and decisions for some grievances at plants which are not part of the multi-plant system. Drug-Free Workplace The company s commitment to providing a safe, drug-free workplace is reflected in the final offer language which calls for hair or urine testing of employees to take place on a random or periodic basis or based on reasonable suspicion Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard in United States law that a person has been, is, or is about to be, engaged in criminal activity based on specific and articulable facts and inferences. . Testing would also occur following an accident which could have resulted in injury or property damage. Flexibility The final contract offer includes a common sense approach to working as a team to assure continuous production, quality and reduced costs. Supervisors or salaried employees will not replace Anheuser- Busch employees in the bargaining unit. However, it makes common sense for a supervisor to keep the operation running smoothly by helping out when there is a problem, such as clearing a can line jam or picking up fallen bottles on a conveyor Conveyor A horizontal, inclined, declined, or vertical machine for moving or transporting bulk materials, packages, or objects in a path predetermined by the design of the device and having points of loading and discharge fixed or selective. . Such actions would be possible under the contract proposal. The company has urged union leadership to submit the contract to a vote by mailing ballots to members homes. "This is an important decision for our employees," Rammes said. "We want them to carefully consider it and talk with their families in the privacy of their own homes before casting their vote." Rammes was optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op about the outcome of such a vote. "We ve made an outstanding offer that ensures a better future for our employees, their families and the company," Rammes said. "We re looking forward to moving ahead in a manner that benefits all Anheuser-Busch employees." CONTACT: Anheuser-Busch Steve LeResche, 314/577-7750 Charles Poole, 314/577-2012 |
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