Three-day warning strike: US Army civilian employees demand fair wages!

Three-day warning strike: US Army civilian employees demand fair wages!

Things will get serious in Wiesbaden on Monday: The Verdi union has called on civilian employees of the US Army to go on a three-day warning strike. This is happening in the course of failed negotiations in the nationwide collective bargaining dispute with the stationing forces, as Wiesbadener Kurier reports. Employers have only offered a wage increase of 1.7 percent, which is met with little enthusiasm.

The negotiations in the last three rounds showed no rapprochement between Verdi and the employers. The union has clear ideas: It is demanding a basic amount of 320 euros per month for all employees, followed by a wage increase of three percent. Firefighters in particular should receive an additional two euros per hour more. The prospective trainees should not be forgotten either; Verdi demands 200 euros more per month for them.

High expectations and great challenges

Bavaria shows how the situation is in other regions. There are also the first rounds of negotiations for local civilian employees of the US Army, where employers are only offering 1.4 percent more pay. The collective bargaining commission and the employees in Grafenwöhr agree that this offer is inadequate, as can be read on verdi Bayern. Claudia Peter from the Verdi collective bargaining commission and union secretary Kathrin Birner emphasize the urgency of better offers.

Employers emphasize the great importance of the employees' work, but at the same time point to the strained budget situation and the difficult geopolitical situation. The negotiations affect all military training areas of the US Army as well as the British, French and Canadian armed forces nationwide, especially in Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate.

Social impact and further steps

In total, around 3,000 employees are affected in Bavaria, particularly in the regions of Upper Palatinate, Middle Franconia and Kempten. Verdi has already drawn up a clear timetable: Collective bargaining began on January 31st in Berlin, before the next dates are scheduled for February 24th and 25th. The union's goal is to increase wages in two steps, which includes the aforementioned 320 euros and then three percent.

The tense situation during the negotiations and the upcoming strikes make it clear that civilian employees of the US Army and their families are fighting hard for better working conditions. The challenge of securing fair wages will certainly shape discussions in the near future and further fuel social discussions about workers' rights.