32

GEORGE RYDER WAS TALKING to Dana Briggs when Fiore got back to his office. Ryder drove in from home after his secretary called that morning, but Fiore postponed the meeting for a couple of hours. Later, after lunch, he apologized for the delay and led Ryder into the adjoining conference room. Since the earlier visit from Bob Gorman when he urged Doug to find work for Ryder that would make his billable hours more respectable, Fiore arranged for Paul Castillo to parcel out small amounts of work to him, but nothing that had the potential to turn into a major matter or that involved any of the firm’s important clients.

“Throw him an employee handbook to draft or some arbitration case you’d just as soon not handle yourself, especially if you think it’s a loser. Just stuff like that,” he told Castillo. The younger labor attorney sensed what was going on and was smart enough not to ask any questions.

Following the night he discussed the negotiations with Sandy Tarantino in the limousine on the way back from New York, Fiore twice asked Ryder for updates on Ocean State Wire & Cable. But he didn’t say a word to him about the guidelines he received from Tarantino as to how the contract could be amicably settled. At that point in time he didn’t want Ryder questioning him as to where the guidelines came from. He realized that the sooner the Ocean State Wire contract was settled, the fewer opportunities he would have to initiate more meetings with Pat in Room 606 to discuss the progress of the talks and Brad Hanley’s positions while making love to her.

Fiore closed the door to the conference room behind him. “What’s happening in the negotiations?” he asked, even before sitting down. “Let me see the latest proposals.”

Ryder untied the string that was holding the bulky case file together, opened it and combed through a number of documents inside before finding what he was looking for. He placed several sheets of legal paper on the table. “I’ll have to read where we are from my notes,” he said, and proceeded to do so when Doug gave him a silent affirmative nod. Ryder updated him on the proposals and counterproposals offered by each side at the most recent meeting. When he finished, Fiore said it sounded as if the Union made more of an attempt than the Company to move closer to a settlement position.

“It all depends on your view of what that position should be,” Ryder answered. “Hanley is pretty damn firm about getting a two-year freeze in wages. He also wants the employees to contribute more to the cost of their medical insurance. In his mind, there’s absolutely no reason for the Company to put one cent in new money on the table for anything in the first year of the contract after what it lost last year.”

“Has the Union seen Ocean State’s financials for last year?” Fiore asked. “Do you think Morelli gives a damn about its problems or not?”

“Yup, I mentioned that before,” Ryder said. “We gave him a copy of the profit and loss statement at the first meeting. We also gave the committee the production invoices that show the drop in tonnage sold to the companies that were Ocean State’s ten biggest customers when we negotiated the first contract three years ago. It was pretty significant in some cases. I think those things made an impression on him. When they came out of their caucus, Morelli wasn’t belligerent at all. He said something about it being important for both sides to work things out. He’s listening carefully to whatever we say.”

“When’s the next meeting?” Fiore asked.

“We’re scheduled for this Thursday afternoon,” Ryder told him, “and then two full days next week.” As he spoke, he took a small, leather bound calendar out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket and opened it. “Next Thursday and Friday.”

“How about those dozen other issues you read off? Some of them are economic, too.”

Ryder thought that Fiore’s tone of voice seemed to imply that he was trying to avoid discussing them. He wasn’t sure whether something was bothering Fiore and couldn’t understand why Doug had any trouble with the negotiations at the stage they were at. He tried to stay calm.

“We’ll do some trading on those,” he answered. “Hanley wants certain language that he thinks he needs for better production. I know he’s willing to move on a number of these things to get it. I think it will all fall in line. The only potential strike issues I see are in the wages and medical insurance.”

Fiore got up and paced halfway down the length of the conference room and back. He thought again about the potential consequences of letting Ryder operate in the dark as to Tarantino’s view of the right settlement, and concluded that there was still sufficient time for Hanley and Ryder to find the “magic” numbers on their own. But he also wanted them to be certain not to provoke an employee strike. “I’m sure the owners don’t want to see a strike in this economy, George. If Hanley loses customers because he can’t deliver on the orders coming in, that would make things a lot worse. A long work stoppage could even send Ocean State down the tubes. It’s up to you to see that he doesn’t go overboard on those concessions he’s looking for. He’d better have a damn good handle on what kind of settlement Morelli and the rest of the negotiating committee can sell to the employees in the plant.”

“I assume Brad’s position on these things are all based on some guidelines he got from the ownership,” Ryder said. He waited a few seconds for Fiore to correct him if he was wrong, but Doug was silent. Ryder concluded that Fiore wasn’t brought in on the desired settlement package by either the Platts or the Tarantinos. If that was the case, Fiore would only be guessing as to ownership’s position on a strike.

“He seems pretty confident that they’ll back him up if he gets in a fight with the Union,” Ryder continued. “I’ll tell you this. He’s certainly not afraid of hiring permanent replacements right away if there’s a strike. He knows how many people are looking for jobs these days. Hanley figures it’s the best chance he’ll ever get to bring in a new workforce and get rid of the Machinists. That’s why he’s taking a tough line, and it’s hard to blame him for it.”

Fiore placed his palms on the table and leaned toward Ryder. “When you go to war, George, you suffer casualties. You’ve handled enough strikes to know that. And you know the economics Hanley’s dealing with. Ocean State can’t take a lot of casualties. Remember that when you’re advising him.”

He opened the door to his office. “I can’t give this any more time today. From now on I’d like a typed copy of your negotiating notes on my desk the day after you meet. And I want to see each side’s latest position on every issue. Line it up on the sheet one opposite the other so I have no trouble reading it. Okay?”

“Sure, Doug.”

Fiore didn’t wait for Ryder to return the papers to his file. He walked out of the conference room, through his office and down the hallway. Watching him leave, Ryder thought, Thanks, asshole, I’ve got nothing better to do. Minutes later, as he headed toward his office, he began to wonder why Fiore was getting so involved in the negotiations.