Mello
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A typical labor contract with a major manufacturing concern may be 300–400 pages long, and written in legal terms that are "incomprehensible to the common person," said Bill Mello, director of the IU Kokomo Division of Labor Studies. When labor and management can’t resolve their differences after extended negotiations, they may settle on a contract with "intentionally vague language," he said. "This puts off issues for resolution in later negotiation."
As a former international trade union representative, Mello knows first hand the frustrations that can arise when workers don’t understand their rights under their work contract or don’t feel that they can influence the outcome of contract negotiations.
Mello will instruct two courses that address these issues for the division’s Union Education Institute (UEI). "Collective Bargaining in Hard Times" will be discussed on Saturdays, Oct. 30 and Nov. 13, followed by "Contract Interpretation" on Saturdays, Nov. 20 and Dec. 11. Class sessions run from 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at the UAW DaimlerChrysler Training Center in Kokomo. Participants can enroll on the first day of a course or in advance. Each two-day course costs $55 as a non-credit class and $142.75, plus fees, as a for-credit class.
"Collective Bargaining in Hard Times" will delve into the history, practices and strategies of contract bargaining. Understanding how bargaining works can help workers assert demands within their own contracts, Mello said. "It’s hard for working people to get directly involved in bargaining; the process isn’t always open."
"Contract Interpretation" will show students show to read a contract in order to argue more effectively for their union and workers rights. If employees better understood their rights under contract terms, job conflicts could often be settled without mediation, Mello believes, avoiding expense and lost work time for both sides.
Offered in early fall, the initial UEI course covered the federal Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Enrollment in the course had to be capped because of the high interest, according to Mello. "People who had never taken classes (at IU Kokomo) before were signing up. We had some very lively discussion, because everyone had experiences to share."
Participants appreciated the university’s effort to schedule the sessions on non-consecutive Saturdays, he added. "Working students can see that they can go back to school without missing work or turning their lives upside down," Mello said.
Three UEI classes will be offered in spring semester 2005. "Workplace Violence" (Jan. 15 and Jan. 29) will cover sexual and racial intimidation and discrimination in the workplace, as well as ways to respond. "Introduction to Arbitration" (March 12 and 26) will look at the advantages and limitations of resolving job problems through grievance arbitration. "Workers Rights" (April 9 and 23) will examine state and federal laws covering all U.S. workers, including the right to organize unions.
Rae Sovereign, non-credit coordinator for IU South Bend, will teach the first two sessions in 2005, and Mello will instruct the final one. Sovereign, like Mello, has a working background in union representation.
Tuition Assistance Programs are offered through many employee benefit plans that cover the cost of tuition for credit programs. For more information, contact the IU Kokomo Division of Labor Studies at 765-455-9388; E-mail Error! Hyperlink reference not valid..
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