IAM Local 1363 members employed by the Catholic Diocese in Youngstown, Ohio have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement after a 16-month negotiation process. The contract covers about 30 workers at the diocese’s four cemeteries.
Robert Towslee, IAM Local 1363 Business Representative, stated, “This agreement represents not only improved terms, but also the beginning of a renewed commitment to job responsibilities, accountability, and employment security.”
Timothy Verlinden, IAM Local 1363 Directing Business Representative, said, “While the process included moments of disagreement and outside anti-union efforts, we remained steadfast and focused on our shared goals. Together, we achieved fair resolutions on wages, benefits, time-off accruals, and holidays.”
The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown serves over 117,000 Catholics across 67 parishes and one mission in northeast Ohio. It also educates more than 17,000 students in its network of 30 schools.
Under the new contract terms, workers received wage increases ranging from 3% to 35%, depending on specialty and current pay rates. The agreement includes 13 fully paid holidays each year. A joint health and safety committee with both company and worker representatives was created. All existing employment benefits—such as personal days, sick leave, vacation accruals, and retirement plans—were preserved.
David Sullivan, IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President remarked: “Standing up for your rights as workers for the first time is always challenging. I am so proud of these members of Local 1363 and what they have achieved with solidarity. We look forward to more justice on the job for themselves and their families, and more job growth through unionism in the future.”
