The negotiating committee convened on January 11, 2010 at the offices of Local 19, in Houston to prepare for the week’s meetings. Joint meetings were held on January 12th, 13th and 14th. It was a productive week, with a tentative agreement on Article 5, Filling of Vacancies, as well as discussions and some counter proposals from both sides on three other contract articles.

As a result of some of the union’s proposals, the company needs to do some research before it can respond. When they complete this we expect to be able to reach agreement on the other articles that were discussed.

The committee put in a full week and worked diligently, using time away from the joint meetings to be prepared for future sessions. As with the first session there were open and honest discussions as to the needs and concerns of both sides, which helps the process continue at a good pace.

The next session has been scheduled for the beginning of March.

In Solidarity,

Bob Luciano
Business Agent/ Trustee, Teamster Local 210
Negotiating Committee Chairman