Union Rejects Contract By 93 Percent Margin

Representatives with the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers tell ANN members of Local Lodge 2061 and District 166, who perform Space Shuttle support duties for the United Space Alliance (USA), walked off their jobs Thursday after USA management proposed what the union considered to be a substandard contract offer.

"The United Space Alliance refused to change the offer," said Local 2061 President Lew Jamieson. "We did everything we could to come to an agreement. Enough is enough -- we won’t accept a substandard contract."

As ANN reported earlier this month, union members voted to reject a contract offer by a 93 percent margin and authorize a strike on June 2.

At the end of a five-day cooling off period, a federal mediator called both sides back to the bargaining table... but when the company offer remained unchanged, the negotiating committee quickly called the strike.

To cover the effects of the strike, USA states it was implementing a strike plan, including reassignment of workers to other duties to cover striking workers, as well as hiring "subcontractors" as replacement workers, company spokeswowan Tracey Yates told Florida Today.

One group of workers won't be on the picket line right away: those who prepare landing sites for the space shuttle. Those members agreed to forestall striking until Atlantis is back on the ground; the shuttle is currently scheduled to land June 21.

USA is a joint venture formed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing to provide launch services to NASA.

FMI: www.goiam.org