Five-year contract reflects major investment into workforce by locally-owned company
This weekend, a group of 50 Teamsters Local 174 members working at MacMillan-Piper overwhelmingly ratified a historic five-year contract. These members work in warehouses in Seattle and Tacoma, unloading and repackaging goods that are shipped in and out of the Puget Sound area by ship and rail from all over the world. The group of workers at this locally-owned company have been members of Teamsters Local 174 for decades, and that rich tradition of collaboration between company and Union led to an extraordinary contract that recognizes and rewards the work our members perform.
The most meaningful accomplishment in this Agreement is a streamlining of the wage structure to a more seniority-based pay schedule that rewards workers for their longevity. The new contract also includes what we believe is enough maintenance of benefits funding to assert that our members will not have to pay for their Teamster healthcare coverage for the life of this Agreement, and at the same time should see significant pension increases as well as receiving an additional paid holiday. The new Agreement also includes dramatic improvements in availability of retirees medical, allowing these members to retire with dignity – which will be all the more important for this group of workers, many of whom have been with MacMillan-Piper for twenty years or more.
“This strong new Agreement is what happens when an Employer chooses to invest in their workforce and reward them for their loyalty,” said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “Contract negotiations do not always have to be a fight: they can be collaborative and lead to a result like this one, which truly benefits everyone involved. MacMillan-Piper and the Teamsters have been working together for many years, and with this historic contract, I expect we will continue working together successfully for a long time to come.”
Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,600 working men and women in Seattle and the surrounding areas. “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.