Connecticut Strike Shows Unions Are the Only Ones Left Fighting for Workers

Sikorsky is a very wealthy company - and it is wealthy thanks to the U.S. taxpayer. The company this year has roughly $9.1 billion in government contracts. The Connecticut Post notes that "Sikorsky's net operating profits for 2005 were $250 million, up 25 percent from 2004's $200 million in operating profit." Meanwhile, Sikorsky's parent company, United Technology Corp, "reported net income of $3.1 billion in 2005, up from $2.68 billion in 2004." There's nothing wrong with a company getting fat off the government dime, as long as it is producing valuable products, and as long as it is treating its workers well. And Sikorsky does produce the valuable Blackhawk helicopter. But what its doing to the workers who make that helicopter is shameful.

The Connecticut Post reports that despite swimming in taxpayer-funded profits, the company is proposing massive cuts to 3,600 workers' health care benefits. Under the plan, the Connecticut Post reports, "A Sikorsky employee with an individual health-care plan would pay a total of $1,009 more, while employees with coverage for themselves and their family members would pay an additional $3,528 over the life of the contract."

In response, the 3,600 workers opted to go on strike - but even then, the union offered concessions to end the strike. For instance, weeks ago the New Haven Register reported that "Teamsters Local 1150 offered to have union members pay 20 percent of the cost of health care and sign a four-year contract, rather than a three-year pact, both major concessions." That offer was rejected. Similarly, the Connecticut Post reported that "The Teamsters propose giving back part of the 3.5 percent pay raise over each of the next three years and forgoing a $2,000 signing bonus per employee." Again, that was rejected by company management focused on crushing workers and expanding already massive profits.

Instead, the company has hired temporary replacement workers, ignoring the fact that the workers who assemble the Blackhawk helicopters are among the most specialized manufacturing workers in the nation. Their skills are not easily picked up, begging the question: do we want our soldiers in Iraq flying around in Blackhawk helicopters made with replacement workers? Apparently, Sikorsky does, as the company is now considering making the replacement workers permanent workers, and sinking to the age old ploy of threatening to shut down its Connecticut operations.

Sadly, Connecticut's congressional delegation is refusing to take sides in the affair. Despite the fact that many of them carry a lot of weight in terms of government contracting and could use that weight to put pressure on Sikorsky, these lawmakers have issued a letter that simply asks for both parties to "come back to the negotiating table." Of course, the two parties should do that, and the lawmakers are clearly worried that the company is going to leave the state. However, the fact that the congressional delegation refuses to take sides in a dispute where a massively profitable, taxpayer-funded company is trying to crush workers shows just how pathetically out of touch our government really is.

It's not clear how this dispute will end - but what is clear is this: the only security workers really have any more is in the labor movement. Companies now regularly sell workers out, as does the government. And that goes all the way from service sector workers, to manufacturing workers that produce the most vital military equipment being used in Iraq. The only institutions in society fighting for the little guy are unions. That's why the right-wing attacks unions so vehemently - because unions are one of the last institutions still standing in conservatives' war on the middle class. Here's hoping the Teamsters continue standing strong in Connecticut and providing an inspiration to other workers all accross America who are getting the shaft.

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