A closer look at contract changes

About a week and a half ago, the union rejected the contract changes the company wanted to make to the existing contract. But union members have another chance to vote Thursday and Friday.

It's titled "2009 CONTRACT CHANGE SUMMARY," 62 pages outlining modifications to the contract between the union and Mercury Marine.

"Well there's no question that if an employer were trying to save money in order to stay in a more competitive marketplace you'd look precisely at the things Mercury Marine is looking at," said Ronald Pfeifer.

Pfeifer has been practicing labor and employment law for 35 years, and routinely negotiates with unions on behalf of companies. FOX 11 asked Pfeifer to explain some of what's in these 62 pages union members will be voting on.

"Overtime eligibility, who'll get it, how it'll be handed out, how it'll be paid, that's changed. Vacations, reduced. Holidays, changed," explained Pfeifer.

Pfeifer says the pay scale for new employees, or laid off employees returning to work, will also be changed. For example, a truck driver would currently be earning at least $20.95 an hour. But a new hire, or a laid off worker recalled after a certain date would make, at the most, $16.50 for doing that job.

"So there's about a $5 an hour difference, spread over 2,080 hours in a year, that's a fairly significant amount of money," said Pfeifer. It's a difference that adds up to more than $10,000 a year.

There are other changes union employees will be considering.

"I think Mercury Marine has dug its heels in and tried to either reduce the amount it's paying and that would be for instance in, the employees are going to pay more for their group health insurance, pension apparently is going to be frozen so those are losses for employees and the exchange for that is continued jobs that'll remain in Fond du Lac," said Pfeifer.

And union members will decide if keeping a job, but with fewer benefits is worth it.

"I suspect every Mercury Marine employee has to make that judgment for him or herself and it's probably a matter of opinion as to whether it's fair or unfair," said Pfeifer.

Changes outlined in 62 pages the union will accept or reject, in a move that will impact the company, the union, and the community.

Pfeifer says the average union contract is one to three years. This one is supposed to be for seven years, although the company's moves come during a four-year agreement reached just last year.

After Thursday's voting, the ballots will be taken by police escort to the police department. Union officials say the counting will begin right after the polls close Friday at 6 p.m., with results expected later that evening.