Strikers' health insurance expires Saturday (3-31) This is Katrina territory

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/news.ssf?/base/news/1175249794240300.xml

LOCAL NEWS

Strikers' health insurance expires Saturday
Friday, March 30, 2007
By BRAD CROCKER

PASCAGOULA -- Although Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and union officials are expected to meet again soon, workers who continue to strike are worried about their health insurance expiring Saturday.

Mike Crawley, president of the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council, which represents 11 of the 14 unions on strike, and Debbi McCallam, NGSS director of communications both called Thursday "a quiet day" with no talks reset by a federal mediator.

About 425 workers have returned to work, while nearly 6,000 others continue to honor the picket outside the company's Ingalls shipyard.

Some workers like painter Denise Donald not only stocked up on groceries for her family when contract negotiations began in January but also medications and other health needs.

"Now, we just have to hope that none of us gets sick," said the mother of three.

There have been rumors that NGSS would still extend current health care coverage, but McCallam said Thursday, "Everybody knows about it (March 31 deadline). There's nothing new about that."

After March 31, the health insurance cost to employees could increase from the current rate of $144 each month to more than $800 a month, according to Edmond Hughes Jr., senior vice president of human resources and administration.

FULL story at link.

[fairfaxvadem]

1. This is serious.

We have some strikers down there. Did you see the story about the couple getting married on the picket line last week?

If the American public knew how badly their military was being outsourced, they would flip out. We are leasing a lot of our naval fleet instead of building them here, and we're buying "kit ships" from Asia to get around the Jones Act, etc. All that technology and skill going overseas because US companies do not like American workers.

Disgraceful.

[youngdem]

2. Shameful indeed. It is treasonous and bad for national security to outsource our manufacturing

It is such a shameful short term profit taking to outsource our manufacturing base.

We will regret it one day in a most horrible way.

[fairfaxvadem]

3. national security and a technology gap to boot

If we don't keep the shipbuilding technology here, we are seriously screwed. I am sure the Norwegians build fine ships, but we should be doing it here, with US skilled labor. Period.

But we're slowly pulling away from that. All to save a buck and add to the bottom line of these contracting companies. I was dumbfounded when I realized what was going on.