Case: Labor Arbitration/Subcontracting (Arb.)

Arbitrator Sinclair Kossoff ruled that Veolia Water Milwaukee didn’t violate its CBA by subcontracting steamfitter work to a non-union company, even though the agreement states that the company agrees to use qualified and available Steamfitters Local 601 members as the “first choice to perform work.” The type of “work” referred to is ambiguous, the contract also provides that the company has the “right to subcontract work to the extent established by past practice,” and the union business representative admitted that Veolia has issued dozens of public bids for work without checking to see if there were qualified and available Local ...