IBEW Local 51 (Springfield IL) Rejects Mandatory overtime and a Cut in Health Benefits, But Pledges to Continue to Negotiate

Posted on Fri, Oct. 01, 2004

Union rejects AmerenCILCO contract offer

Associated Press

PEORIA, Ill. - AmerenCILCO electrical union workers rejected a company contract proposal but have pledged to negotiate again, officials said.

Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 51 voted 229-55 to reject the proposal from St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. - the parent company of AmerenCILCO.

The 330 affected union workers in Peoria, Lincoln, Springfield and Tuscola will continue working without a contract, which expired at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Local 51 business representative Matt Moore said.

The two sides are scheduled to meet Oct. 6, Moore said, though an Ameren spokesman said no date had been set.

Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris said Ameren is willing to meet again with the union but would not say if the company will make any more offers.

"We will just have to wait to see what happens at the meeting," he said.

The union also rejected an Ameren contract in July.

"It's still about the health insurance costs and mandatory overtime, basically," Moore said.

Local 51 wants Ameren to drop demands that the company be allowed to mandate overtime for hourly employees. Ameren has also asked workers to pay too much for health insurance premiums, Moore said.