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Local 15 Members Return to Work

October 24, 2001

More than 1,000 members of Local 15 return to Chicago-area generation plants this week after voting to accept an offer from Midwest Generation.  Members made a unilateral offer to return to work in early September but Midwest imposed a lockout.

The workers, who had been out since late June, voted October 16 to approve a new collective bargaining agreement that calls for an immediate base wage increase of 4 percent.  Members will see a 3.5 percent wage increase next January and 3 percent hike each of the following three years of the contract.  The agreement also has language limiting the use of temporary contractors. 

This is the first agreement following the sale of a large bloc of fossil fuel plants by Commonwealth Edison to Midwest Generation.  The 1,150 workers perform operational, maintenance and clerical work at the companys seven main coal- and natural gas-fired electric generation plants. 

The company, which had brought in replacement workers to help run the facilities, said no scabs would be retained.