Shipyard Union Workers Rally Over Contract Talks
By JACOB GEIGER
By Jacob Geiger
The Virginian-Pilot
NEWPORT NEWS
Contract negotiations between Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and United Steelworkers of America Local 8888 don’t begin until after Labor Day, but the first rhetorical volleys were fired Friday at an afternoon rally outside the shipyard.
The rally, which followed a march by a few hundred union members and supporters from other AFL-CIO unions, drew high-ranking union officials and several politicians, including Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner.
Warner, who’s running against Republican Jim Gil-more to fill the seat of retiring Sen. John Warner, spoke briefly to assembled workers.
The current contract doesn’t expire until Oct. 26, but union organizers scheduled Fri day’s rally to get workers tuned in to the bargaining period.
Union spokesman Dwight Kirk passed around copies of a memo he said the company sent to supervisors telling them not to give time off to employees who wanted to go to the rally. Supervisors were also instructed to record the names of any workers who left early or showed up late because of the rally and to tell those workers that they may be subject to disciplinary action, according to the memo Kirk provided.
Alton Glass Sr., president of the local union, said he was hopeful that the two sides would be able to reach a settlement when they sit down next month. But he also said the union was willing to walk off the job if negotiations broke down.
“We hope for an excellent contract, but you never know,” Glass said. “If we have to strike, we will. It’s not what we hope for, but we’re prepared to do it.”
Jennifer Dellapenta, a Northrop Grumman spokeswoman, said company policy prohibited her from commenting on the upcoming negotiations.
Kirk laid out some of the union’s priorities for the negotiations.
“One is rising health care costs,” Kirk said. “Another is wages versus the cost of living. Workers are being pinched in this economy, paying more for food and fuel, so paychecks don’t go as far as they used to.”
Retirement plans – which have been at the center of the past two rounds of negotiations – are also expected to be a major issue . Retirees currently get $1,100 a month. The union also wants to negotiate for paid sick days.
Workers at the rally said they were worried most about retirement and health care .
“I’m hoping for more money on the pensions, maybe $300 to $400 more per month,” said Clyde Moody, who’s worked at the shipyard for 38 years.
Health insurance was on the mind of 57-year-old Brian Ribblett.
“What’s the use of a $5 raise if our health insurance goes up $50 a week?” Ribblett asked.
Charlene Jones, an 18-year veteran of the shipyards, said a recent illness made her appreciate the good health care she received under the union’s insurance plan. She said that experience made her worry even more about the rising costs of health care.
The union said the average age of its members is 48.
The shipyard is the Navy’s sole builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. It shares construction of nuclear submarines with General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn. The shipyard has more than 8,000 union-eligible workers, and Kirk said about 80 percent of those employees are dues-paying members. The shipyard has about 19,000 employees and is one of the largest employers in the region.
In 1999, negotiations between the union and Newport News Shipbuilding Co. broke down, leading to a 117-day strike by more than 6,000 union members. The company was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001.
While speaking at the rally, Glass told the workers that he remembered the picket lines and financial pressures of that strike. But he urged them to keep an open mind this time around.
During contract negotiations in 2004, union officials and the company were able to reach a new agreement without a strike.
“We feel very, very optimistic,” said Fred Redmond, the union’s national vice president and the chief negotiator for the upcoming talks. “We feel like we’re talking about issues that the company can afford to address.”
Jacob Geiger, (757) 446-2643, jacob.geiger@pilotonline.com
about the contract
The contract between Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and United Steelworkers of America Local 8888 expires Oct. 26. Negotiations begin after Labor Day. A company spokeswoman had no comment on the talks.
Some topics likely to play roles :
* Health care costs
* Wages versus the cost of living
* Retirement plans
* Paid sick days – online
See video of the rally at PilotOnline.com.
Originally published by BY JACOB GEIGER.
(c) 2008 Virginian – Pilot. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.