Thu, Oct 19, 2006
Union: Company Executives Attempt to Slash Workers' Health Care
Coverage
Teamster mechanics, aircraft
fuelers, cleaners and stock clerks employed by NetJets, Inc., a
provider of fractional and air charter service, continued
informational picketing and leafleting on October 17 and 18.
Members of Teamsters Local 284 in Columbus, the workers drew
attention to their 'fruitless contract negotiations with
NetJets.'
"Outsourcing mechanics' jobs and defending its actions by
comparing our superior wages and benefits to those of lower-paid,
non-union mechanics is the wrong way to go," said Chad Morrison,
Local 284 steward and member of the union's negotiating committee.
"Cheaper is not necessarily better when it comes to aircraft
mechanics."
The workers -- in negotiations since January 2005, unable to
reach a fair agreement on wages, miscellaneous working conditions
and health insurance -- picketed and handed out leaflets at the
company's headquarters in Columbus and the NBAA annual meeting,
held in Orlando, Florida.
"The company's latest proposal slashes health insurance
contributions to the point where benefits would have to be cut or
employees would have to start making massive out-of-pocket
contributions just to keep their families insured," Morrison
said.
"NetJets' insistence on using
cheaper, non-union mechanics to service aircraft is at the core of
the contract dispute," said Allen Price, Local 284 President.
Negotiations between the parties resume in Columbus, Ohio on
October 30.
"Management's own data shows Teamster represented mechanics are
the most productive in the system. We are dealing with an employer
that has made a conscious decision to grow its non-union
maintenance operations for no other reason than to avoid a union
contract."
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