Tue, Mar 14, 2006
...But No End In Sight
As a workers strike plaguing
Sikorsky Aircraft entered its fourth week, negotiators with
both Teamsters Local 1150 and Sikorsky met Monday with
the federal mediator and presented their revised proposals to end
the current strike by members of the labor union.
Sikorsky representatives say their proposal better aligns wage
increases and bonus payments with concerns previously expressed by
the union. The company adds it hopes that Teamsters Local 1150 will
present their proposed contract to a vote by union members.
The Teamster's response? Don't hold your breath.
Sikorsky's revised proposal includes:
- General wage increases of 4 percent, 3.5 percent, and 3 percent
in each year of the three-year contract.
- A $2,500 cash bonus -- $1,000 upon ratification of the contract
and $1,500 in January 2007, when the new 80/20 health care plan is
implemented.
- An increase from $45 to $52 in the monthly multiplier for the
pension benefits and a cash-balance pension increase from 50 to 60
cents per hour.
- An increase from $56 to $62 per week in employees' allowed
401(k) contributions -- matched by the company at 50 percent.
- 38 paid holidays over the life of the agreement plus three
floating holidays.
- A voluntary severance program for up to 200 participants,
providing one-week's pay per year of service, a $15,000 lump sum
pay out, and one-year of company-paid medical & dental
insurance.
Sikorsky says it submitted its plan after the Teamsters
presented a plan of their own, which the company says would have
"significantly increased" the economic costs to the company.
Union Response
As far as the Teamsters,
union negotiators say they presented a good-faith, comprehensive
contract proposal to the federal mediator, that was intended to
serve as the basis for a fair compromise to get the 3,600 striking
Sikorsky workers back to work.
Union reps add that Sikorsky rejected their proposal almost
immediately, opting instead to respond with a "warmed-over version
of the company's original proposal." That's the one that Teamsters
overwhelmingly rejected in favor of the strike.
Teamsters representatives tell ANN that Sikorsky's proposal
failed to address the reason its workers are on strike -- their
health care benefits are being slashed.
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