Maintenance workers are gearing up for their upcoming negotiations with the University, and it looks like labor relations will be in need of some fixing.
Beginning April 17, representatives from Human Resources will sit down with 130 maintenance workers represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 465 to discuss wages, benefits, employee morale and a handful of other topics.
Unlike for previous negotiations, union officials are expecting an exceptionally contentious next few weeks. Henry Loftis, a spokesman for Local 465, said he expects the university to penalize the union and maintenance workers because of Local 465's recent efforts to unionize nurses at Duke Hospital.
"When we went after the nurses, we cost the University a lot money. They spent millions," Loftis said. "I'm preparing for the worst.... We don't just want these things that we're asking for. We need them."
Mindy Kornberg, director of staff and labor relations, would not comment on the upcoming negotiations, but wrote in an e-mail, "From the University's perspective, while negotiations are often challenging, they need not be contentious. While members of Local 465 are represented by the union, they are Duke employees, and we are expecting through good faith bargaining, a respectful, productive negotiation."
Union officials said the relationship between the University and Local 465 has grown contentious since the Union's efforts to unionize nurses began last year.
"When we have major problems we have grievance procedures," said Loftis. "In most cases that are critical we constantly have to have arbitration."
David Winstead, an official with the IUOE said the union is still pursing the unionization of Duke's nurses.
Like traditional negotiations, the upcoming discussions are expected to focus primarily on wages and benefits. Maintenance workers complain that they receive less than market wage for their work.
Tom Harris, a 26-year employee of the University, said he and his colleagues are paid up to $2.50 less than employees who perform similar work around Durham and even across the street at the Medical Center.
"We need comparable wages with the people at the Medical Center," he said. "We do the same work that they do, but we get paid less."
Other employees agreed that the pay structure is unfair.
"The bottom line is we've got to support our families," said Don Watt, a maintenance worker of 17 years.
Union officials also plan on demanding a more flexible retirement policy. Loftis argued that the strenuous nature of maintenance work needs to be incorporated into determining the retirement age for University employees. Like other employees, maintenance workers retire at age 65.
"Our guys feel that they need a better retirement plan, because their work can be so dangerous," said Loftis, a former Duke employee.
Even without the nursing issue, the upcoming talks might have had a slight personal element to them. Some workers complain that some managers-in particular Jerry Black, director of Facilities Management-treats workers with little or no respect. Additionally, the University's incentive and awards programs seemed to do little to improve morale among workers.
"Duke has made it so hard for people to be happy here," said Loftis. "People here want to like Duke, but the University makes it so hard."
Union officials said they expect the negotiations to last several weeks, possibly well into the summer. If all goes well, employees said the University will have made an important first step in improving soured relations with some workers. But if things do not go well, Harris said he is prepared to act.
"I like working for the University," he said. "But if push comes to shove, we'll have to stand up and be counted."
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