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Brooklyn,_____incLOCAL 10}Members of the Transport Workers of America, Local 101, marched up Court St. Aug. 27 during the five-week old strike that has kept about 2,500 out of work pending a contract settlement with the Brooklyn Union Gas Company. (Brooklyn,Inc/Kirk Photo)Union members from Brooklyn Union Gas Local 101 of the Transport Workers of America overwhelmingly voted against a contract offer from the utility company, sparking a demonstration in front of the Montague Street Offices. Medical benefits, pay increase and work rules are issues that remain on the bargaining table. (Brooklyn,Ino/Kirk Photo)No Light At End O f The Tunnel For BUG Employees Walking LineBY ROB TAYLORThe accusations have toned down, theanger is only simmering, but the dust stillhas not settled in the labor dispute betweenthe Brooklyn Union Gas Company and itsemployees who are members of theTransport Workers Union Local 1010. Some2,500 workers remained locked out of theirjobs at Brooklyn Union Gas as ofSeptember 17, with no indication of whenthe strike might end.Although this strike began Aug. 12, theissues keeping the members of theTransport Workers Union Local 101 off thejob %u2014 medical benefits, pay increases andwork rules %u2014 have been raised before.Three years ago, the meter readers andclerical workers walked off the job for sixdays %u2014 a weekend and four business days%u2014 when BUG and the union failed to compromise on medical benefits issues.That issue seems to be a sticky one indrawing many labor contracts across the city. %u201cMedical coverage is an issue that stallsa lot of negotiations these days,%u201d says GeneBriody, president of the Utility WorkersLocal 12, who negotiated a contract for hisworkers with Con Edison earlier this year.Three years ago, the Con Ed employeeswere locked out of their jobs when labornegotiations failed to result in a new contract. %u201cIn our recent contract, medicalcoverage was our highest priority and Ithink it is the major negotiating issue at alltimes.%u201dAccording to Sylvia Lanka, a broker withthe Brooklyn office of Merrill, Lynch & Co.,BUG employees are receiving similarbenefits and wages to other utility companyworkers. %u201cIf they commented outside thestrike,%u201d she says, %u201cI%u2019m sure the union people would say that the wages and benefitsBrooklyn Union Gas pays are good. Interms of other utility companies, they aremaking good money at the company, bothat the management level all the way downto the meter readers.%u201dFor BUG employees, the issue of medicalbenefits seems to be what has kept themfrom their iobs for just over five weeks.With no strike fund, according to Local 101official Frank Myles, union members, including meter readers and clerical workers,will be able to begin drawing unemployment benefits within two weeks.Initially the worker were angry and heldnumerous demonstrations in front of BUG%u2019SMontague street neaaquarters. me strikerswere said to be responsible for overturninga company car on their first day off the job.The president of Local 101, James Murray,was arrested for obstructing traffic whilepicketing BUG%u2019S Staten Island offices whenJames Murray (left) President of the Transport Workers of America, Local 101, talks about his arrest for obstructing traffic at Brooklyn Union Gas Company%u2019s Staten Island office during a demonstration there on Aug. 15. (Brooklyn,Inc./Kirk Photo)workers with Local 3 of the InternationalBrotherhood of Electrical Workers, who accepted the BUG contract offer, went back towork after initially being outside Local 101%u2019smembers.STARTING TO SOUND BITTEREven though the air has calmed, Federalmediators have been unsuccessful in theirattempts to keep the management ofBrooklyn Union Gas Company and Local101 representatives at the bargaining table.A brooding anger also seems to be developing on both sides. BUG officials are becoming less open with their comments andLocal 101 employees are beginning to soundbitter.%u201cThere seems to be no end in sight,%u201d saysMyles. %u201cI don%u2019t hear much talk about anymeetings either. We requested some helpfrom Central Labor Council, but we haven%u2019teven seen that yet. We%u2019ll see what is goingto happen.At BUG, the management appears to besettling into the reality of a continuingstrike and making do in many areas of itsbusiness with only a skeleton staff. BUG official William Frederici says the companyis functioning with its managementemployees working longer shifts and fillingin on some varied tasks. %u201cWe have 1200 people working around the clock, right now,%u201dhe says. Two weeks ago, in preparation forthe colder weather and increased demandsof servicement, the company began to tellBrooklyn customers through advertisingthat they should contact their localplumber/heating contractor to get theirheating systems ready for winter.NO SAFETY VIOLATIONSAfter charges by union officials that thecompany is risking the public%u2019s safety whilesaving money by keeping its members outon the street, Federici said, %u201cOur entireoperation during this strike has beenmonitored by the Public Service Commission investigators who are here regularly.%u201dHe added that he had heard of no reportsabout safety violations.In the meantime, Local 101 employeespicket site outside company offices, waitingfor some compromise on either union%u2019s ormanagement%u2019s part.When the workers left their jobs, the company had asked them to pick up most of thecost of their medical insurance premiumsby 1988. The proposed plan called for anemployee with family to begin paying $62eacu liiuiilii ui uctiiucuy, 1937, tutu $93 permonth by January, 1988. BUG maintainsthat it wants the union employees to beunder the same plan as those in the rest ofthe company.C on tin u ed on P age 10In an attempt to bring more attention to their grievances, workers from Local 101 of the Transport Workers of America, their friends and families, marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall Aug. 27 during the third week of the strike. (Brooklyn,Inc./Kirk Photo)Page 9, The Phoenlx/Brooklyn.inc Section Two, September 18,1986