Union Voted Out Of Vero Beach March 15

Members of the International Association of Machinists picketed outside the Bethesda Hyatt Regency Thursday morning, where American Capital Strategies (ACS) was holding its annual shareholders meeting, to show support for workers at New Piper Aircraft who the union says were denied their freedom to join the union.

Representatives with the IAM told ANN that ACS, which owns New Piper Aircraft, has allowed an anti-worker management team free rein in the company administration. The union claims New Piper management has rung up dozens of unfair labor practice charges, has bargained in bad faith, and has run a systematic campaign of harassment of union supporters.

"We've asked ACS to intervene and treat their workers with dignity," said IAM General Vice President Robert V. Thayer. "They said it's their policy not to interfere with local management. They ought to change that policy. We don't intend to go away."

As Aero-News reported March 15, workers at New Piper voted out the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers as their collective bargaining representative, by a close vote of 307 to retain the IAMAW at New Piper and 401 to oust the organization.

IAM Strategic Resources Director Steve Sleigh says New Piper had run a "totally anti-union campaign," that included more strictly enforcing solicitation and distribution rules against union supporters, promising benefits to employees if they vote to get rid of the union, and encouraging employees to sign a decertification petition even as management was supposedly bargaining in good faith.

"The IAM members at New Piper have stuck with the company through hurricanes and wage cuts, and helped it rebuild," said Thayer. "They deserve much better than this."

FMI: www.newpiper.com, www.iamaw.org