69% of Those Voting Say Yes

Ballots along with information packages were sent to 27,982 eligible voters on April 27, 2001 and 12,691 or 45% were returned by the deadline date. There were 8,793 votes or 69% to accept the agreement and 3,805 votes or 30% to turn down the agreement. The remaining votes, less than 1%, were either void or unidentifiable.

Following verification of the results by an independent auditing firm, the agreement was signed Thursday morning, May 31, 2001.

"As we stated to our members during the ratification process, this is not a good agreement. However given the overt anti-labor animus and pro-management bias of the members of the National Mediation Board and the Administration they serve, this agreement is far better than what we would have received from the political presidential emergency board that would be recommended by the NMB and appointed by President Bush," said President Fleming in a press release issued the day of the signing.

"As Congress merely ends strikes and rubber stamps recommendations of PEBs whether Democrats or Republicans control it, we faced recommendations which would have provided for low wage increases, high health care cost sharing and a worsening of work rules, including lower away from home expenses and substantially greater contracting out of production and maintenance work.

"Under this agreement we received modest improvements in our health care plan and away from home expenses and no deterioration in our work rules. We also gained five wage increases, however, four are subject to cost sharing for increases in health care premiums – increases which could eat up to half of those four wage increases.

"We made a determination as union representatives that we should give our members the option to vote on this austere agreement rather than give them no choice and thus subject them to what we are certain would be a much worse result if we talked tough while allowing the normal political process to proceed. In that way, our membership would be choosing whether to risk the results of a Bush-appointed PEB or to take something that while not being good is much less onerous. 69.9% of those voting chose to accept the agreement.

"The BMWE membership weighed the arguments and decided by a nearly seven to three margin not to risk the dire consequences a Bush PEB would almost certainly impose. I think their decision was a wise one and I thank all who participated in the process. The Grand Lodge officers, system officers, staff, local lodge leadership and the membership all participated in a truly complicated, intelligent debate. All worked hard and I salute them all."

In this month’s President’s Perspective, President Fleming notes the "time has come for us to analyze the results of this national round and begin to develop a plan so that what happened this time does not happen next time" and offers thoughts to begin that process.