After more than a year of contentious negotiations marked by strikes and protest rallies, Yale University and Locals 34 and 35 of the Federation of the University Employees have tentatively agreed on new six-year contracts. The agreements with the two unions -- which represent Yale's clerical, technical, service and maintenance workers -- protect dining services from being subcontracted to other companies and increase the minimum wage for subcontracted employees. Union officials expressed satisfaction with the settlement. "Our primary goal was to prevent Yale from turning into a center for low wage, no benefit jobs," Local 35 spokesperson Deborah Chernoff said. "The settlement meets all of our basic objectives. Our only regret is that it took so long to achieve." And Yale spokesperson Tom Conroy said the university is also pleased with the new contracts. "The final contract agreements that were reached are good for the university, employees and community," he said. The issue of subcontracting university services had long been a sticking point in the negotiations. Yale had wanted to subcontract its dining services to fast-food chains. But under the new contracts only Yale employees can work in the dining halls, thereby preventing Yale from subcontracting its dining services to other companies. Conroy noted, however, that the agreement allows Yale to subcontract services other than dining. "The contracts give us management flexibility that we believe will be a big help in improving services," he said. "Limited subcontracting authority is an important option we did not previously have." Another difficult issue in the negotiations had been setting a minimum wage for subcontracted employees. Under the new contracts, any subcontracted employees who work at Yale must be paid at least $7 per hour with a 3 percent increase in each year of the contract. Chernoff cited improved job security and increased wages as other key provisions of the new contracts. Wages for Local 34 members will increase an average of 4.7 percent per year over the next six years, while Local 35 workers will receive a 2 percent annual pay raise for the first four years and 2.5 percent annually over the next two years. She added that the new contracts provide continuing health care coverage for retirees and their dependents at no cost -- a significant improvement over the employees' existing pension plan under which retirees had to pay additional medical costs. The new contracts also provide full benefits for hundreds of permanent Yale employees who work less than 20 hours a week. These employees had not previously received benefits such as health care. "When you add up all the elements, these contracts offer the best job security provisions in the country," Local 34 President Laura Smith said. "I'm particularly thrilled that, over the life of these contracts, hundreds of part-time Yale workers will now be able to earn medical insurance." And Local 35 President Bob Pronto called the contracts a major victory. "These contracts guarantee the preservation of good jobs at Yale," he said in a statement. "By coming together as a community, we have been able to stop Yale's plan to destroy decent jobs." Both Locals 34 and 35 went on one month strikes after their contracts expired last spring, forcing Yale's 12 residential dining halls to close. Negotiations continued after the strike, but they broke off in June without an agreement. The talks resumed last September after a three-month hiatus.
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