Unions Approve National Grid Contract

Locked out National Grid workers voted to approve a contract agreement to end a lockout that has dragged on for more than six months. The workers are expected to be back on the job later this month.

"This contract provides a significant wage increase and a number of other crucial protections for workers. Just as important, the agreement safeguards the future workforce and includes a number of provisions that will enhance the safety of our communities -- including the creation of dozens of public-safety related jobs," John Buonopane, president of United Steelworkers Local 12012, and Joe Kirylo, president of USW Local 12003, said in a joint statement.

National Grid and United Steelworkers Local 12003 and 12012 reached the contract agreement late Thursday night, but the contract still needed to be ratified in Monday's vote. The contract includes pension increases for current employees, wage increases and "improvements from the company's original offer to new hire benefits, such as retiree medical, sick leave, and life insurance," National Grid said.

Some 1,250 have been out of work since the collective bargaining agreement ended June 24. Gov. Charlie Baker this week signed legislation that would extend unemployment benefits to the workers if an agreement wasn't reached by mid-January, when their insurance benefits would run out.

Other state legislators and officials have pressured National Grid in recent months, including the Department of Public Utilities issuing a moratorium on all non-essential National Grid work after an over-pressurization in Woburn in October. The moratorium was lifted in December.

"We recognize that our labor dispute has been challenging for our employees, our customers and our communities," Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, said in a statement. "Now that we have been able to move beyond our past challenges to reach an agreement that works for both sides, we are looking forward to our union employees' return to work, and resuming normal operations for the benefit of the customers we are mutually motivated to serve."

Materials from the State House News Service were used in this report

Photo by Mike Carraggi, Patch