Honeywell International told local Teamsters union members that the company could begin locking out employees on Feb. 1 if the two sides don't reach a contract agreement.
Management and the union — representing 634 workers at Honeywell's locations in Golden Valley, Minneapolis and Plymouth — are at a stalemate over current contract negotiations.
In a letter sent to all of its local union employees Monday, the plant managers from all three sites said, "You should know that we have notified the union that if we are unable to reach a final agreement before the current contract expires at 11:59 p.m. on January 31, we may lock out all represented employees and utilize our contingent labor to ensure we continue to meet customer commitments."
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1145 has been negotiating with Honeywell since Jan. 5. Most of the local employees IBT represents work in the company's aerospace operations.
Honeywell and union leadership reached a tentative agreement on Jan. 17 that included a $4,000 ratification bonus and 14% in pay raises over five years. But the union voted down the contract last week.
"As disappointing as this was," the three plant managers wrote in the memo, "approximately 200 represented employees did not even vote."
Tim Wilcher, secretary/treasurer for the union, is hopeful the matter can be resolved when negotiations resume on Thursday. "We go back into talks shortly."
IBT Local 1145 employees currently make an average wage of $30.22 per hour, not including overtime, according to a Honeywell website about the negotiations.
