Long-Term Stability To Benefit Connecticut And Florida Employees

Sikorsky Aircraft announced Sunday that Local 1150 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 5,100 hourly employees at the company's Stratford, Bridgeport and Shelton, CT and West Palm Beach, FL facilities, has ratified a new, five-year labor contract. 

Laurie Havanec, Sikorsky's Vice President of Human Resources, said, "We are extremely pleased with the ratification of this five-year agreement.  The long-term labor stability this five-year agreement provides will be beneficial for our employees and our customers in these challenging economic times.

"The negotiating teams on both sides worked hard to reach an agreement that meets employees' needs while helping Sikorsky to remain competitive," Havanec said.

Local 1150 secretary-treasurer Rocco Calo told the Hartford Courant the contract includes a 3.5 percent salary hike for each of the first three years, with four percent increases in years four and five. He didn't disclose the final vote tally, saying only members ratified the deal "really overwhelmingly."

"The members of the union negotiating committee are pleased with the outcome of these negotiations and understand that, in this difficult economy, we are fortunate to be working with one of the rare companies that are prospering in hard times," read a Local 1150 statement.

Negotations between Sikorsky and the union began in December, with both sides pressured by the state of the economy to avoid a strike... as what happened during previous negotiations in 2006.

FMI: www.sikorsky.com, www.teamsters1150.org/