On the picket line

Mass. nurses strike & picket

Nurses at UMass Memorial—University Campus plan to strike Oct. 26, after attempts to negotiate a fair contract failed. Nearly all the 830 registered nurses approved a strike in late September. The hospital, which is scheduled to post $47 million in profits in 2006, on top of $94 million in 2005, is demanding concessions of up to $8,000 a year in wages and benefits.

The contract offered will drastically increase health insurance costs and eliminate the nurses’ pension plan as a benefit. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) estimates that as a result, retirement savings will be cut by 35 percent; many nurses could lose as much as $104,000.

To add insult to injury, after demanding concessions from the nurses, the hospital announced a 38 percent pay hike for its CEO and $68 million in capital improvements for hospital buildings. Clearly, its priorities are making profits, not serving patients.

Elsewhere in the state, more than 1,000 registered nurses at Brigham & Women’s Hospitals in Boston held an informational picket on Oct. 12. The MNA called it the largest picket in its history.

The nurses, who have been negotiating a new contract since July, protested the hospital’s failure to recruit and retain adequate staff to safely care for patients. Though the hospital’s profits increased by more than 75 percent in 2005 and by another $42 million through the second quarter of 2006, management only offered the 2,400 nurses a 1.5 percent pay hike, and it wants them to pay for it by cutting their sick time benefits. That would make the hospital’s pay scale 10 percent below that at comparable facilities.

The nurses’ contract expired on Sept. 30 but has been extended until the next negotiating session on Oct. 23. If talks aren’t successful, the nurses will vote to strike.

Harley-Davidson workers reject contract

Members of Steelworkers Local 2-209 overwhelmingly gave thumbs down to the concessions contract offered by Harley-Davidson on Oct. 16.

The 1,500 workers who assemble the famous upscale motorcycles in Milwaukee refused a contract that included a pay cut of about one-third for workers hired in 2007, an end to cost-of-living adjustments for all workers in 2008 and cutbacks in healthcare benefits and pensions. Workers at plants in Pennsylvania and Missouri are represented by the Machinists union.

While management says it needs the cuts to stay competitive, the workers don’t believe the company, which will likely post $1 billion in profits in 2006. A worker, who requested to remain anonymous because of fear of reprisals, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “They try to portray themselves as being different from most companies. They’re no different. They’re greedy.” Other workers said they would be willing to accept concessions only if Harley were in financial trouble. (Oct. 17)

“I’m really proud of the members. I really am,” said another worker. “There comes a time when you have to stand up and say enough’s enough.” He noted that the union agreed to contract concessions in 2003. The current contract expires in 2008.

Northwest flight attendants go to court

Northwest flight attendants, who were forbidden to strike by an Aug. 25 preliminary injunction, filed a 65-page brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Oct. 12 appealing the injunction. At least 50 pages of the brief cite legal precedents showing that a strike in response to a contract rejection during a bankruptcy case is not barred by the Railway Labor Act nor by Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code. For a copy of the brief, go to nwaafa.org.

Meanwhile NWA flight attendants, represented by AFA-CWA, and their supporters are continuing to implement CHAOS—Create Havoc Around Our System—by holding informational picket lines at airports around the country. Stay tuned.

Flight attendants stage Halloween protest

US Airways flight attendants, also represented by AFA-CWA, plan to picket at seven airports on Halloween to protest stagnant wages, sluggish contract negotiations and management’s “nothing-for-the-workers” negotiating stance.

Flight attendants have had “massive pay cuts” since 2002, noted an Oct. 16 union press release. While executives at US Airways gave themselves two raises in 2006, on top of pocketing millions in stock options, they’re refusing to give raises to the flight attendants. “It’s been all treats for management and an empty bag for flight attendants,” noted the release.

Picketing is tentatively scheduled at airports in Boston, Charlotte, New York/LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. For the final schedule, check www.afanet.org.