Thirty-six union members in Minneapolis are among 14,000 workers participating in a two-day strike against General Electric to protest rising health care costs.
The 36 workers, members of IUE-CWA, are employed at a GE service center in Minneapolis.
GE has unilaterally increased health care co-pays for working families and pre-65 retirees in its managed care plan, the union said. Workers also intend the strike to deter GE's stated plan to seek "substantial" increases when national union negotiations start in May.
"GE and the rest of corporate America need to get the message - we need affordable health care for our families and retirees," said Craig Chapiewski, IUE-CWA Local 1140 shop chair at GE in Minneapolis.
Doug Williams, an IUE-CWA representative in Minnesota, said GE is in the unusual position of benefitting from higher health care costs.
"GE is a major player in the health care industry and profits directly from the rising costs of medical care," Williams said. "That fact, coupled with the corporation's unwillingness to work out a solution with the union with respect to the company's own rising health care costs, seems disingenuous at best.
"GE is adding to its $16 billion in profits by shifting increased health care costs - costs that it is helping to create through its corporate conduct - to the pocketbooks of GE working families and retirees. This is occurring while its six top corporate officers received more in cash compensation in 2001 than the company says it will save from the cost shifting. The cynicism of such conduct goes beyond corporate irresponsibility."
The strike, the first since 1969, involves 48 plants in 23 states. Participating are about 14,000 members of IUE-CWA, the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America; and 3,000 members of the UE, the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America.
A female striker, picketing outside a GE appliance plant in Louisville, Kentucky, died after being hit by an unmarked police car early Tuesday. IUE-CWA President Edward Fire said the union is investigating the incident and is providing assistance to the member's family.
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For more information
Visit the special IUE-CWA website for the strike, www.geworkersunited.org
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Thirty-six union members in Minneapolis are among 14,000 workers participating in a two-day strike against General Electric to protest rising health care costs.
The 36 workers, members of IUE-CWA, are employed at a GE service center in Minneapolis.
GE has unilaterally increased health care co-pays for working families and pre-65 retirees in its managed care plan, the union said. Workers also intend the strike to deter GE’s stated plan to seek “substantial” increases when national union negotiations start in May.
“GE and the rest of corporate America need to get the message – we need affordable health care for our families and retirees,” said Craig Chapiewski, IUE-CWA Local 1140 shop chair at GE in Minneapolis.
Doug Williams, an IUE-CWA representative in Minnesota, said GE is in the unusual position of benefitting from higher health care costs.
“GE is a major player in the health care industry and profits directly from the rising costs of medical care,” Williams said. “That fact, coupled with the corporation’s unwillingness to work out a solution with the union with respect to the company’s own rising health care costs, seems disingenuous at best.
“GE is adding to its $16 billion in profits by shifting increased health care costs – costs that it is helping to create through its corporate conduct – to the pocketbooks of GE working families and retirees. This is occurring while its six top corporate officers received more in cash compensation in 2001 than the company says it will save from the cost shifting. The cynicism of such conduct goes beyond corporate irresponsibility.”
The strike, the first since 1969, involves 48 plants in 23 states. Participating are about 14,000 members of IUE-CWA, the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America; and 3,000 members of the UE, the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America.
A female striker, picketing outside a GE appliance plant in Louisville, Kentucky, died after being hit by an unmarked police car early Tuesday. IUE-CWA President Edward Fire said the union is investigating the incident and is providing assistance to the member’s family.
buy zoloft online zoloft online no prescription
For more information
Visit the special IUE-CWA website for the strike, www.geworkersunited.org
online pharmacy propecia online with best prices today in the USA