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NYC, Westchester store employees reach no resolution in talks on costs of health care and wage hike criteria
STAFF WRITER
February 21, 2006
Members of a union representing more than 3,500 Macy's workers at four stores - Herald Square, Queens Center, Parkchester and White Plains - have voted to authorize a strike unless a new contract is reached by March 3.
Carolyn Daly, a spokeswoman for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said major unresolved issues include health care deductibles and premiums, as well as a wage increase. Negotiations began last month.
A Macy's spokeswoman, Elina Kazan, said Macy's is "working very hard toward reaching an agreement" with union members, but is making contingency plans for a strike and "seeking replacement workers" so that the stores can stay open.
Macy's ran newspaper advertisements Sunday seeking such workers.
No Nassau or Suffolk stores are affected.
Daly said the union objects to a Macy's demand that its employees, who pay no deductibles for their health plan, pay annual deductibles of $3,000 for a family and $1,500 for an individual. She said Macy's employees make an average of $20,000 a year.
Also in dispute is a proposed increase in the share of premiums paid by employees to 60 percent from 50 percent currently, she said. The two health care proposals would increase the number of Macy's employees who rely on taxpayer-funded insurance, she said.
Another issue is a Macy's proposal to make wage increases dependent on performance reviews, according to Daly.
Kazan, the Macy's spokeswoman, declined to comment on negotiations, saying that the company prefers to work out the issues at the bargaining table.
The Macy's stores are owned by Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores Inc., which has more than 850 department stores, including Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, Filene's and Hecht's.
Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Inc.
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This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzmacy4635308feb21,0,5388733.story?co...