Space Shuttle Workers on Strike

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/06/14/space-shuttle-workers-on-strike/

Space Shuttle Workers on Strike

by James Parks, Jun 14, 2007

Members of the Machinists (IAM) who work on space shuttle missions at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., walked off the job today after contract negotiations broke down over the cost of health care and wages.

The 580 members of IAM Lodge 1061 and District 166 work for United Space Alliance, which is owned equally by the Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. They work in support areas for the shuttle missions such as logistics, warehousing, shipping and receiving, ground systems equipment and facilities maintenance. Others operate cranes and maintain the crawler-transporter used to deliver space shuttles to launch pads.

The workers struck after the company failed to budge on its final offer in talks conducted by federal mediators. According to the union, the company proposal include:

* Increasing health care premiums by 50 percent and office visits by as much as 150 percent; and
* Raising wages by less than the cost of inflation.

Local 1061 President Lew Jamieson says:

When you compare their proposal to other contracts in the aerospace industry, we’re in the bottom tier. We did everything we could to come to an agreement. Enough is enough—we won’t accept a substandard contract. We’ve given back for nine years. And we’re tired of giving back.