Striking GE workers approve new contract

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E TO LIFE СПИМОМІТА NGS LOSS SOCIALIST ACTION MAY 1988 5 CINCINNATI-At an April 8 general membership meeting of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 647, about 75 percent of the more than 5000 members who voted approved a settlement with General Electric.

The agreement, which was recommended by the union's bargaining committee, ended an eight-week strike at the General Electric Aircraft Engine Plant in Evendale, Ohio. The strike began on Feb. 16 over the issue of combining job classifications.

Striking members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) Lodges 912, 162, and 789 have also returned to work following the settlement with the UAW. "We settled the grievances we were out on strike over," an IAM business representative told the Cincinnati Enquirer. He pointed out that IAM rules did not require a vote by union members to end their walkout.

No details of the UAW settlement were released to anyone, including the membership, before the April 8 meeting. Local 647 President Bill Adams, who supported the settlement, was reported to have said at the meeting that the union "saved face." He also said, "The main issue is job security, and we got that." (Cincinnati Enquirer, April 8, 1988)

But some union members expressed a different opinion. "I don't feel good about going back because we went out for job combinations," one striker told reporters. "I believe that most of the members feel we did not get what we went out for."

GE's original proposal was to reduce 84 classifications to 32; the settlement provides for a reduction to 40. The settlement did include (according to the Cincinnati Enquirer) "a written guarantee by GE that a program to combine dozens of job classifications would not result in layoffs."

Unfortunately, this guarantee is only on paper. Despite the establishment of a joint union-management committee to monitor the provision covering layoffs, further layoffs could occur as engine contracts expire. These are not covered by the settlement.

In fact, immediately upon returning to work, about 200 UAW members were temporarily laid off for up to two weeks— and there are rumors of a permanent layoff soon.

GE justified the layoffs by claiming a lack of work due to jobs that were farmed out during the strike. GE also claimed that strike-breakers working at the Evendale plant "got too far ahead" in some areas of production. Company representatives boast that, despite the strike, the plant continued to operate seven days a week for two 12hour shifts a day.

Was KoR FOS LIFE SOMBIN FOR YE STOP At the April 8 meeting, a member of the Local 647 bargaining committee praised the membership for its unity and determination during the strike. But the only effective measure that the union took to ensure unity was a solidarity rally on Feb. 27. About 3000 people participated in that event—the largest labor rally in Cincinnati's history.

There is a good chance that the issue of job reclassifications will resurface this month when negotiations begin for the national contract, which expires in July. •

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