(NEW YORK CITY) - A John Catsimatidis-owned Heating Oil Company continues to play hardball with the union representing its Delivery Drivers, by refusing to sign a Statewide Master Labor Contract, according to the head of Teamsters Local 553. 

Brooklyn-based United Metro Energy Corporation also argued that the way it classifies different types of Delivery Drivers is irrelevant despite the Teamster Local’s insistence that there are separate Labor Agreements covering two different classifications of Drivers at the company.

United Metro delivers heating oil across New York City and Long Island in bulk shipments to schools and other state institutions, but the company also employs two Drivers that make smaller retail deliveries, whose contract status with Local 553 has been in dispute. 

In September, United Metro notified the New York State Energy Coalition (NYSEC), which negotiates with Unions on behalf of several energy companies in the State, that the company was not bound by the current Master Agreement covering the two Drivers and said it would not renew the agreement after it expired on December 15th.

Catsimatidis’ company followed through on its assurances and refused to sign a contract inked by several other NYSEC-represented companies in December. 

Local 553 filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) claim with the National Labor Relations Board in response to Catsimatidis’ refusal and filed a separate grievance with the Labor Board arguing that, per a 2017 memorandum of agreement signed by United Metro and the Teamsters, more Workers should be rightfully covered by the Master Contract for Retail Drivers. 

That agreement covered “initially five (Drivers) performing retail delivery,” and Demos Demopoulos, Local 553’s Secretary-Treasurer, is arguing that the several other Workers now making retail deliveries should also be covered by the contract’s terms.

Despite not signing the contract, Catsimatidis has been paying the two Workers covered by the 2017 agreement the same rates as was negotiated in the recent contract.

"They’re paying them the wages but doing whatever they can to keep these guys from Unionizing and getting a contract with us,” Demopoulos said. 

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Catsimatidis-owned firm continues to ice out union - The Chief (thechiefleader.com)