In the Southwest Rider we got a $2.50 pension increase over the five year contract: 50 cent increase per year for every hour worked for a max of 2080 hours.
However, in the Southwest Rider we had been on company ran health plans. Andy "Marshmallow" who is the chair of the Southwest Rider decided that Horrorcare wasn't good for us so he developed the Western Conference and Local 177 Health & Welfare Plan. The Southwest Rider represents locals: 63, 104, 186, 381, 396, 492, 542, 572, 631 and 952. The first supplemented was voted down overwhelmingly since the Health and Welfare Plan had not yet been "carved-out."
When it was finally "carved-out" they failed to tell us that we were gonna pay for this new Health & Welfare Plan by diverting $2.25 out of $2.50 pension increase to pay for our healthcare. In other words we only got a $.25 cent pension increase over the five year plan. A full-time employee currently receives $9.85 pension increase per hour worked. A part-timer receives $7.85 into their pension per hour.
So if the Marshmallow man would have not dropped the ball in negotiations by coming up with this stupid health and welfare plan and accepted Horrorcare, us in the Southwest would currently be receiving $11.10 per hour and $12.10 by the end of the contract.
Does that better answer your question?
Local 186 that is part of the Southwest Rider had nomination meetings last Saturday. Three years ago the guy leading the opposing slate split the vote with another group. This year they've joined forces and the current executive board has acknowledged they will easily be defeated on December 10. When asked why they will lose, their response is "the concessions in the Southwest Rider."
Local 186 will become the first anti-awful local in Southern California since 1999.