WALLINGFORD — Allnex Industries workers ratified a new collective bargaining agreement Friday after rejecting two previous deals between the company and the employees union. A third rejection would have led to a strike vote, according to the union. Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers/International Chemical Workers Union Council Local 436C met just before 8:30 a.m. Friday at VFW Post 591 on Prince Street. Workers went in to read the revised contract and cast votes. Around 8:30 a.m., employees came outside to wait as the union’s executive board tallied the votes. At 8:55 a.m, the workers were let back into the building to hear that the contract had passed. Vote totals are kept secret, a regional representative with the International Chemical Workers Union told the Record-Journal by phone Friday.  “We had respectful negotiations, as we always do and we came out with a lot of wins,” said Matt Mottram, union local president. “... We did well. As always we worked with the company well.” Mottram said some of the “wins” involved sick days, double time and an incentive for providing six months’ notice of retirement. The contract stipulates that “upon ratification of the Agreement, for 2022, employees will receive one paid Sick Day. Three paid Sick Days will be granted beginning January 1st, 2023 and each January 1st thereafter except on January 1st of the final calendar year of the Agreement, when employees instead will receive two paid Sick Days.”  Employees will be paid double time for holidays they work and “all hours worked immediately following 12 consecutive hours worked in one workday and hours worked on a call in on a scheduled day off,” according to the contract.  Employees who provide at least six months’ notice of retirement will receive $1,500 in their last paycheck, which is grossed up for payroll taxes and withholding. Mottram said the only difference between the accepted contract and the one most recently rejected was a perfect attendance agreement.  The first tentative deal between Allnex and the union was a five-year contract, with wage increases of 3% on Aug. 1 of 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2025 and 2026, employee wages would have increased 2.75% each year.  The second rejected agreement was a three year contract. It also proposed 3% wage increases on Aug. 1 of 2022, 2023 and 2024. Added to the second tentative deal was a $1,000 “ratification bonus” for each employee. This accepted contract is the same as the second tentative agreement, but “it is $500 a year if you have perfect attendance,” Mottram said.  If the third contract did not pass, Mottram said the group was going to immediately go into a strike vote.  “Then if the strike vote passed by two thirds of the members here present and voting, if that criteria all happened, then we would be on strike, but we are on an extension until Sept. 30 on our current agreement, so at that point I would call the company and say, ‘hey, are you on board to resume negotiations?’” Mottram said. “The last two times they immediately said ‘yes, let’s get back to the table and see what we could do.’”  Allnex is “a global leader in industrial coating resins,” according to its website and “a market-leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and specialty coatings.” The Wallingford plant was previously owned by Cytec Industries and American Cyanamid. Allnex, based in Germany, was purchased last year by Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical for $4.75 billion, according to Reuters. Wallingford plant manager Frank DiCristina said he was pleased with Friday’s vote. The plant has a total of 110 employees. Seventy-five are represented by UFCW/ICWUC Local 436C.  “Discussions were collaborative and very productive throughout both parties,” DiCristina said. “We’re just pleased that we can continue to partner with our employees and the community to be a positive impact in the Wallingford area.” DiCristina addressed the first rejected contract in a July 29 email to employees.  “As I’m sure most are aware, we did not come to an agreement with the Local 436-C on a new contract,” DiCristina wrote in the email, provided to the Record-Journal. “We continue to work together in good faith in order to come to a mutually beneficial agreement moving forward.” DiCristina’s email addressed the issue of worker and community safety and concern over potential employee distraction.  “What I personally ask of everyone on the Allnex team — everyone, union members and salary alike — is to focus first and foremost on working safely,” DiCristina wrote. “There is nothing more important than the safety of our employees and the community. Please do not be distracted. Allnex has already experienced enough recent tragedy that we never want to repeat in Wallingford.”  The email did explain the reference to “recent tragedy.” Last month, however, two Allnex employees were injured in an explosion and fire at a plant in East St. Louis, Illinois, according to multiple published reports. The incident prompted investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Two weeks later, the same plant experienced an airborne chemical leak when a transport trailer containing hydroxyethyl acrylate over-pressurized, possibly due to excessive heating, according to spokeswoman for the company and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, as reported by the Belleville News-Democrat, an Illinois newspaper. Mottram said the Wallingford location is a “safe facility.”  “We work really hard with the company for our community involvement,” Mottram added.  jsimms@record-journal.com203-317-2279Twitter: @jessica_simms99

WALLINGFORD — Allnex Industries workers ratified a new collective bargaining agreement Friday after rejecting two previous deals between the company and the employees union. A third rejection would have led to a strike vote, according to the union.

Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers/International Chemical Workers Union Council Local 436C met just before 8:30 a.m. Friday at VFW Post 591 on Prince Street. Workers went in to read the revised contract and cast votes. Around 8:30 a.m., employees came outside to wait as the union’s executive board tallied the votes. At 8:55 a.m, the workers were let back into the building to hear that the contract had passed.

Vote totals are kept secret, a regional representative with the International Chemical Workers Union told the Record-Journal by phone Friday. 

“We had respectful negotiations, as we always do and we came out with a lot of wins,” said Matt Mottram, union local president. “... We did well. As always we worked with the company well.”

Mottram said some of the “wins” involved sick days, double time and an incentive for providing six months’ notice of retirement.

The contract stipulates that “upon ratification of the Agreement, for 2022, employees will receive one paid Sick Day. Three paid Sick Days will be granted beginning January 1st, 2023 and each January 1st thereafter except on January 1st of the final calendar year of the Agreement, when employees instead will receive two paid Sick Days.” 

Employees will be paid double time for holidays they work and “all hours worked immediately following 12 consecutive hours worked in one workday and hours worked on a call in on a scheduled day off,” according to the contract. 

Employees who provide at least six months’ notice of retirement will receive $1,500 in their last paycheck, which is grossed up for payroll taxes and withholding.

Mottram said the only difference between the accepted contract and the one most recently rejected was a perfect attendance agreement. 

The first tentative deal between Allnex and the union was a five-year contract, with wage increases of 3% on Aug. 1 of 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2025 and 2026, employee wages would have increased 2.75% each year. 

The second rejected agreement was a three year contract. It also proposed 3% wage increases on Aug. 1 of 2022, 2023 and 2024. Added to the second tentative deal was a $1,000 “ratification bonus” for each employee.

This accepted contract is the same as the second tentative agreement, but “it is $500 a year if you have perfect attendance,” Mottram said. 

If the third contract did not pass, Mottram said the group was going to immediately go into a strike vote. 

“Then if the strike vote passed by two thirds of the members here present and voting, if that criteria all happened, then we would be on strike, but we are on an extension until Sept. 30 on our current agreement, so at that point I would call the company and say, ‘hey, are you on board to resume negotiations?’” Mottram said. “The last two times they immediately said ‘yes, let’s get back to the table and see what we could do.’” 

Allnex is “a global leader in industrial coating resins,” according to its website and “a market-leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and specialty coatings.” The Wallingford plant was previously owned by Cytec Industries and American Cyanamid. Allnex, based in Germany, was purchased last year by Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical for $4.75 billion, according to Reuters.

Wallingford plant manager Frank DiCristina said he was pleased with Friday’s vote. The plant has a total of 110 employees. Seventy-five are represented by UFCW/ICWUC Local 436C. 

“Discussions were collaborative and very productive throughout both parties,” DiCristina said. “We’re just pleased that we can continue to partner with our employees and the community to be a positive impact in the Wallingford area.”

DiCristina addressed the first rejected contract in a July 29 email to employees. 

“As I’m sure most are aware, we did not come to an agreement with the Local 436-C on a new contract,” DiCristina wrote in the email, provided to the Record-Journal. “We continue to work together in good faith in order to come to a mutually beneficial agreement moving forward.”

DiCristina’s email addressed the issue of worker and community safety and concern over potential employee distraction. 

“What I personally ask of everyone on the Allnex team — everyone, union members and salary alike — is to focus first and foremost on working safely,” DiCristina wrote. “There is nothing more important than the safety of our employees and the community. Please do not be distracted. Allnex has already experienced enough recent tragedy that we never want to repeat in Wallingford.” 

The email did explain the reference to “recent tragedy.” Last month, however, two Allnex employees were injured in an explosion and fire at a plant in East St. Louis, Illinois, according to multiple published reports. The incident prompted investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Two weeks later, the same plant experienced an airborne chemical leak when a transport trailer containing hydroxyethyl acrylate over-pressurized, possibly due to excessive heating, according to spokeswoman for the company and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, as reported by the Belleville News-Democrat, an Illinois newspaper.

Mottram said the Wallingford location is a “safe facility.” 

“We work really hard with the company for our community involvement,” Mottram added. 

jsimms@record-journal.com203-317-2279Twitter: @jessica_simms99

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