LABOR: Sides still not talking in Cornerstone strike

By Joe Olenick<br><a href="mailto:olenickj@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Joe</a>

TOWN OF LOCKPORT — Signs, hand waves, American and UAW flags blanketed the corner of Rapids and Transit roads Thursday as the employee strike at Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union completed its first week without any new talks scheduled.

Cornerstone employees from the Local 212 chapter of the Office and Professional Employees International Union went on strike Aug. 15 after the union rejected management’s final contract offer a second time. The 73 Cornerstone employees of the OPEIU have been working without a contract since the previous four-year deal expired in November 2007. The union represents some of the tellers, loan personnel, customer service representatives and clerks who work for Cornerstone.

“There hasn’t been any new talks scheduled,” Deana Fox, business representative for OPEIU, said. “We are willing to talk anytime; we’ve made that clear.”

Thursday afternoon, some members of the UAW Local 686 were out on the picket line to lend support to the OPEIU. Some support came from passing motorists who honked and waved at the legion of Cornerstone employees.

“We appreciate it, any support we can get,” Fox said.

Some employees were out at other locations, including the newest location at 107 Main St., North Tonawanda. Signs were everywhere. Some said the union was on strike; some said, “our members come first, let’s negotiate”; and some simply said, “honk!”

Cornerstone and OPEIU negotiators reached a tentative agreement that was later rejected twice by Local 212 membership. The offer would continue to provide employees with a more-than-competitive benefit package, including single and family health insurance coverage for full-time employees and a 401(k) retirement plan, said a statement from Cornerstone.

As part of the agreement, Cornerstone asked its employees to pay a portion of health insurance costs, which rose 53 percent between 2004 and 2008, by contributing 5 percent of the monthly health insurance premium starting in November 2009.

“The board of directors and management staff of Cornerstone provide all employees with a fair wage and benefits package, and according to the state Department of Labor, the current average wage rate for Cornerstone’s Union employees falls above the 90th percentile when compared with the wages of employees at other regional and statewide financial institutions,” Ann Brittin, president and chief executive officer of Cornerstone, said. “As a member-owned credit union, we must also maintain a fiscal responsibility to our members as stewards of their assets.”

Fox said the union does not like the health insurance plan, which contains a higher deductible, that is being offered. If employees choose to stay with the old plan, they’ll have to pay the difference which amounts to about 20 percent of the cost of the premium.

The union represents 73 of the 94 employees at Cornerstone. The effects of the strike can be seen, as there were some long lines of customers Thursday at Cornerstone, especially outside at the drive-through tellers.

Glenn Krulisky, a Cornerstone veteran of 17 years, said Cornerstone had to be feeling the effects of the strike. Fox said the loan department was closed, which is a major source of revenue for the credit union.

“They’re losing money now, they can’t write loans,” he said. “They’re just being stubborn.”

Cornerstone locations on Stevens Street in Lockport and State Street in Middleport are closed, but the automated teller machines are working. Customers can still use shared service centers, which are other credit unions.

Cornerstone was founded in 1957 as Unit No. 1 Federal Credit Union servicing UAW-represented employees of Harrison Radiator Division of General Motors, which is now Delphi Thermal. The credit union has more than 43,000 members, and is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, goes to school or volunteers in Niagara County.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.