"After a nearly three-year battle that pitted workers against owners and each other, employees at Urban Ore, a family-run salvage yard and reuse store in West Berkeley, have ratified their first union contract. The deal, reached last month, ends a protracted battle that led to a month-long strike last year and nearly bankrupted the company. Under the collective bargaining agreement, still not signed, workers will get an increase of approximately $3 per hour,"
"One point of contention that led to the strike was Urban Ore's unique wage structure that consists of regular base wage pay, monthly revenue sharing and yearly profit sharing. Before the strike, employees received 15% of the store's revenues, which added around $7 to $9 to their hourly wage rate along with twice a year bonuses. But some employees argued that the unorthodox compensation model resulted in fluctuating income that sometimes meant a smaller paycheck and made it hard to plan."
Employees at Urban Ore ratified their first union contract after nearly three years of conflict that included a month-long strike and severe financial pressure on the business. The collective bargaining agreement, not yet signed, raises base pay by about $3 per hour, increases accruals for paid and unpaid time off, adds holiday pay, and establishes contractual just-cause protections for termination. A central dispute concerned a compensation model combining base wages, monthly revenue sharing (previously 15%) and biannual profit-sharing bonuses; revenue sharing has been cut to 5% while profit-sharing bonuses will continue. Workers cited income volatility and planning difficulties under the prior model, while owners argued the system fostered commitment.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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