Hawker Beech Craft - STRIKE!

[Red1]

http://beechworkersblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/strike-strike-strike.html

Worked at HBC until last friday and don't get the idea the vein of this post is because of being laid off, I engineered that myself ;-)

Anyway, worked at plant 4 where major assembly is done on the hawker line, premier, horizon and sky king.

The mechanics work in a steel building, nothing to keep cool other than fans and gator aid. The rate of build has been increased due to new orders, which is good. Ask any IAM person why there isn't a cooling system in place and they'll tell you the company keeps saying one will be installed but...

But that isn't the issue with the current situation, as you'll see reading the blog or the Wichita Eagle. The issues are the usual...health care benefits and wages.

Raytheon sold the company to onyx and Goldman sucks last year. Onyx is the same venture capitalist co. that bought Boeing Wichita a few years back. These guys admit they know nothing about building aircraft so they left the management structure in place for both Boeing (now Spirit) and HBC...big mistake. These management groups are the same ones that caused the problems of productivity at HBC and Spirit. Onyx and Goldman missed rare opportunities to replace an anti union 50s' era style of buddy buddy politics. Mix that attitude with the typically administratively hip, technologically regressive mindset and you get the attitude of Hawker workers (and soon to be Spirit workers as their contract is up, I believe, next year.

So...join me in wishing for a safe and prosperous walkout for these hardworking union members at HBC. One of the few groups of working Americans willing to put it all on the line for a better tomorrow for themselves and their family's.

YOU CAN'T GO WRONG, WHEN YOUR UNION IS STRONG!!!!

[patrice]

1. Solidarity, Red1 and to your Union brothers and sisters!

Tell us about your Union leaders?

Please keep us posted with the negotiation details if you can.

[Red1]

2. patrice

I'm a contract engineer, not in the IAM. However I worked as a boilermaker in the construction trades for years and so unlike the engineers that will have to cross the pickets next week (HBC requires engineering to work) , I am very sympathetic to the mechanics cause.

The beech blog I posted will be updated as events occur. That will be a good place to find out the latest.

Kansas is a right to work state, so the potential for some of the mechanics to cross the pickets before a new contract is agreed on, will go up as time goes by. This always causes hard feelings between those that cross early and those that stay out till a new contract is approved.

It is a tough time for these guys and appreciate those of you that stay aware of the scarifies these union brothers and sisters will have to go through.

My engineering colleges, for all their ignorance, are usually pretty caustic towards the strikers, if only because they must change schedules to allow for time in line to cross the picket..my response to them is now and alway will be...tough shit.

[Red1]

3. Strike Ends!

This last monday the mechanics at HBC went back to work.

The company offered the same contract but withdrew the health care plan and froze those costs. 77% of the IAM membership voted for the new contract.

Some will question whether there were any true gains here. The strikers lost wages..health care and one of the membership was struck by a car and killed on the way to a rally. There will be confrontations in the factory between those that crossed the pickets and those that didn't. But it was a consensus, an agreement between american workers that an american company wasn't sharing enough of the wealth, wealth gained through their sweat and committment.

I even had a letter to the wichita eagle editor posted on the mechanics blogsite.

You can't go wrong, When your union is strong. gee, guess that would apply to the whole usofa....;-)