After months of negotiation with four major Department of Energy contractors at the Hanford Site in Washington state, union members with the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council have voted to approve a new five-year contract, the president of the organization said Thursday.
Because the new contract replaces one that expired in November 2022, the 2,500 union members covered by the agreement can expect “a nice little check” within the next 60 days, Jeff McDaniel told Exchange Monitor by telephone. McDaniel is president of Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council, an umbrella group that is part of the AFL-CIO’s Metal Trades Department.
Under the agreement, the affected workers will receive a 7.5% raises during the first year; 4.5% for the second and 3.5% for the third, McDaniel said. The contract includes a two-year wage reopener clause to negotiate pay for the final two years.
The contract covers unionized metal trades workers at Leidos-led Hanford Mission Integrated Solutions, Amentum-led Central Plateau Cleanup Co., Amentum-led Washington River Protection Solutions and Navarro-led Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration.
About 1,400 members voted on the contract July 20, said McDaniel, who declined to reveal the vote tally. The collective bargaining agreement was approved by union members at all five contractors, he added.
Central Plateau Clean led the industry-side collective bargaining team during the negotiations, the president of the contractor, John Eschenberg said in a July 24 memo to employees, viewed by Exchange Monitor. Ratification of this agreement addresses pay, worker benefits and other work-related provisions that both sides can live with, he added.
A similar message was sent by Washington River Protection Solutions President Wes Bryan, who told employees a copy of the new contract would soon be posted on an inhouse webpage.
