April 3, 2000
Shareholder Proposal-How Will You Vote? Come
and share your views on the shareholder proposal at the next Guild meeting: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2000, 12:00 NoonBNA 3 – 4TH
FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM Also,
update on Contract Negotiations |
NEGOTIATIONS –
There was very little movement on BNA’s part during last week’s one session of contract negotiations. The Guild expected a counter offer from BNA on wages, but saw none. Instead, the two sides took long caucus sessions and worked on their respective positions on issues currently still on the table. Bargaining continues between BNA management and the Guild. The next session will be Tuesday, April 4th, 3:00pm in BNA4-4th floor.
The Real Cost of LSIs – A Mere 1%
The Length of Service Increases employees get on their anniversaries each year has been a point of discussion throughout bargaining. There is no doubt that LSIs are real wage increases for BNA employees and an expense to the company. But, how much is the real cost of LSIs and what do they achieve? The main achievement of LSIs is the recognition it gives employees as to their value to the company. Each year, on your anniversary date on the job, your pay increases for performing satisfactorily. This continues until you reach step 6 of your grade. Your job knowledge, performance and worth in relation to your job increases, thereby making you a more valuable employee in that job and to BNA. When you reach step 6 of your grade, you are making the top-minimum for that particular job. Does everyone start at step 0 and work their way up the scales each year until they reach step 6? Absolutely not! New employees are brought into BNA from anywhere between step 0 and 6. And when being promoted from within the company, most employees start above step 0.
How much do LSIs cost BNA? According to Guild calculations, LSIs increase BNA’s payroll for contract covered employees by a mere 1%. The cost of the LSIs each year to BNA is 1%, not the actual percentage increase of the LSI itself. This is due to the fact that almost 30 percent of the workforce drops out of the LSI system before they reach the top minimum due to resignation or removal over the last 3 years. AND, more than 40 percent of BNA’s Guild covered employees have reached the top of their grades and don’t get LSIs. BNA’s high turnover rate coupled with the high percentage of red-circled employees means that a lot less employees are receiving LSIs and thereby costing the company fewer dollars than they would have us believe.
Why is BNA making such a big deal about LSIs? It’s an attempt to make employees think that BNA is putting in a lot more money in salary increases than it really is. BNA is purposefully confusing the value of the LSI to an individual employee with the cost of the LSIs to the company; and hiding behind this confusion as a justification NOT to offer stronger general increases to all employees. The recognition of this fact by BNA will go a long way towards building a better understanding of this issue between BNA management and the Guild and will help us get closer to a tentative agreement on the contract.