Seniority changes to be phased in under new Dow offer; striking operators to vote Wednesday

The strike by Dow operators appears to be nearing an end as reasonable individuals on both sides of the labor dispute appear to have developed a compromise with which the unionists can live.
We'll see when the striking workers vote on the new Dow offer tomorrow.

Here's the skinny on the proposed new deal:

* The "7 criteria" used for job movement (which was the seniority issue) will be implemented over time instead of all at one time.
* The 100 severance packages will remain but instead of getting paid 2 weeks pay per year of service they will get 8 days per year of service.
* Instead of taking 54 months for pay progression for new hires, it will be only 48 months.

The last Dow offer was rejected by only 54 votes, but as one union operator who voted in favor of the last offer explained to us, it was a closer vote than that:

"Actually if 28 of the 54 would have voted to accept, it would have passed. 27 would have caused a tie. So really if failed by 27 or 28."

Anyway you slice it, if the new Dow offer is accepted, the old way of doing things based entirely on "seniority" will go the way of the nickel ice cream cone -- poof. I think you'd have to say management won this labor battle if the union accepts. But, on the other hand, if the operators vote to go back to work, they will do so with their eyes open, so let's hope there aren't any hard feelings. We all have bills to pay.