Your Comments

Just go back to work.. The contract was not that bad... If you are looking for somthing better, go find it and don't come back!!!!

Everybody is getting paranoid... even the blog admin..

if you want to help, shut down the blog!

As I pulled into Sikorsky's parking lot today, and stepped out of my car, I stepped in a large pile of horse sh*t.

Then, I realized it wasn't horse s*^%, it was the speech notes from Jimmy Hoffa's less than moving madman rant from last week!

Is there anyway, after the strike is settled, that sikorsky can play that speech on loop over loud speakers 24//7 throughout the factory? Maybe after a few years, it would sink in to some people how stupid that whole rally was.

Goz is not paranoid, hes just stating things for you people to ponder. None of you even knows Gozzi. I do know Goz, a long time too, he is not a typical know nothing, like alot of the writers on this blog. Gox did this thing as a school project basically, now when things are getting out of control, hes taking the blame, I dont see any blame on his part. As for the blog administration, Goz is the administration, with help from a few others, and the others are not paranoid either. Lets face it, most of us workers have been at Sikorsky a long time, and know many in management, so whenj I am told corporate has bloggers on here, I accept that as the truth, and anyone who doesnt think so, they are the naive and paranoid ones. I am just saying as Goz's friend, one from Blade Shop softball teams, penny roll's , etc, that this blog is great, you get to see some good stuff, and absolutely ridiculous stuff also.....keep it going Goz, until this strike is over!

The practice of strike busting is as old as the practice of, well, striking. But to evaluate the possibility that the company may be involved in psychological operations as a method of busting the strike, we need to determine what the company's ultimate goal is.

If the company wants either a return to the status quo or to eliminate the union, then they may consider strike busting tactics. However, if the company's plan is to relocate many operations out of state, then they would probably not want to bust the strike. Keeping the strike going would give the company continued momentum to keep outsourcing, to eliminate certain jobs, to hire "temporary" replacements and to eventually relocate the entire works out of state.

Before we can determine if the company is using strike busting tactics, we have to know their ultimate goal and I don't think any of us posting here has that information. If we take the company's comments to the press at face value, then the statements on Thursday that some operations are being sent out of state could indicate a desire to relocate the entire works. In that case, the company would probably not care one way or another if or how this strike is resolved. And it is almost certain that they would not waste any money on a campaign to influence workers that they are planning to lay off, anyway.

If the company does want a return to the status quo or if it does want to deunionize it's hourly workforce, then they may employ union busting tactics. But again, we just don't know the company's intentions. On the one hand, they are putting out ads letting workers know that they are welcome to come back. On the other hand, they are shipping stuff out on a daily basis.

It becomes, then, for us to wade through the information presented and decide what course of action we as individuals should take to prepare for any eventuality. Instead of taking the paranoid knee-jerk route of considering all pro-company comments or comments from salaried employees as beomg "propaganda" or "psy-ops," perhaps it is best to consider these comments thoughtfully and calmly. Instead of accepting all pro-union comments or statements made by union leadership as absolute truth, maybe we should evaluate those statements in a calm, clear and rational manner.

The best weapon for everyone, no matter which side you are on, is factual information. Unless a statement has been 100% proved or disproved, don't discard it, but retain it for future use. It may shed light on the situation on down the road as more facts are illuminated. We all need to educate ourselves as to the actual facts, keep our minds open to all possibilities, shrug off the hateful and abusive comments and form a plan that will work for our families. That's really all any of us can do at this point.

We need to at least give this through the end of March. We haven't even gone one whole month yet. Sure, we hoped it would only take a week, but we were told it could take months. We need to just calm down and take it one day at a time.

ANON 10:16

I couldn't have said it better. Thanks for the insight.

We all have some degree or another and we have Sikorsky to thank for it. For us the education comes from collage and some from the production of the best in the air. Being proud to tell our kids we work on that thing flying by or making that rescue. We all have a stake in the situation here and we all should speak out. It is disheartening to tell a 7 year old we are not at work and then later see her in her room crying because she thinks we are not going to have money to live on. Lets talk about that education! Finding the words that were needed to let her feel assured that I would do anything to not let her fears be realized was tougher than any “A� I could have earned in school. If I personally had to get 3 jobs to make money, I would for my kids. But I will be on strike for those same kids if needed and for my friends (not brothers. only my father gave me that right and I would fight harder than a strike for them!). We all make good money and are thankful for it. And to this we are truly grateful to Sikorsky.
The insurance is a stress on all of us. To all Salary employees! We wish you had a means to fight for yourselves and get a better package. We feel bad that you didn’t get better because we think many deserve it and should have it. But you had no choice and were stuck with it. The simple analysis of countrywide trends tells all of us it is inevitable and we should accept it. Well even if we go back with what is being offered there was more education involved. We know we are not worth .31 cents an hour. We know we are thought of as expendable because they feel we can easily be replaced. And we learned that money talks and if we don’t have it they can talk us into turning our backs on our beliefs.
The time to go is now. Please stop the playground bully tactics, I’m taking my ball and going home…..The time to talk has come up for the company and the union. Please use all the education we all have to resolve this and get back to what we do best in the world. Both sides know its gone on long enough. Lets all get smarter in the near future.

Two very well spoken comments and all within a matter of minutes. Both are right. Everyone needs to get the facts, get reasonable and get on board with any plan that will get the strikers back to work.

Maybe after all this is over and everyone gets back to work,we all have learned a lesson. I did not vote to strike but I did prepare for it. I listened to what was going on around the shop. In november when a lot of us were working 7 days a week through the Christmas holiday and right up until the strike I began to put that overtime aside. This is what is helping right now. So when we get back to work, instead of buying all these personal toy's and living buy the seat of your pants, and what I here a lot this paycheck to paycheck thing. Put some of that overtime money away and save it for a rainy day till the sun shines again,it takes a lot of stress out of the situation. So remember when you get that vacation check when we get back don't go and visit the indians and think your going to find your fortune, pay off your bills put some away and start saving for the next rainy day because I'm sure there will be more to come. So stop all this negative talk about money, it's in your hands do something about it

As an outsider, I don't understand why this has become an hourly vs. salaried problem. Why all the vicious attacks on each other? Wouldn't everyone's time, money and energy be better spent dethroning the politicians who have ignored this healthcare crisis until it assumed monstrous proportions?

Press Release Source: Keystone Helicopter

Keystone Opens New State-of-the-Art Facility
Monday March 13, 10:57 am ET

COATESVILLE, Penn., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Keystone Helicopter, a leader in the rotorcraft industry for more than 50 years, is preparing to move into the newest addition to The Heliplex(TM).

Keystone recently received its certificate of occupancy from Sadsbury Township, for the second phase of the The Heliplex. "It is so exciting to finally open the doors of this beautiful facility to our employees and our customers," said Bob Ferrucci, Vice President of Quality and Project Manager for expansion of the Heliplex. Nearly 250 employees occupy the existing 55,000 square feet. The new building is adding more than 75,000 square feet of hangar, office and shop space. The remaining 250 employees who currently occupy the West Chester, Penn. facility will move to the newly expanded facility in Coatesville over the next year.

"We designed the facility from the customers' perspective, investing heavily in new shop capabilities and making sure the layouts would be more conducive to efficient, timely work flows. Our ISO-9000 initiatives and Kaizen innovations have helped along the way. We have room on this new site to grow in place literally for decades to come," said Dave Ford, President of Keystone Helicopter.

Keystone Helicopter will break ground in late spring for the next phase of expansion that includes a 30,000-square-foot building that will house three new state-of-the-art paint booths.

About Keystone Helicopter

Keystone Helicopter is a full-service maintenance and completion center anchored by the Heliplex, a new, state-of-the-art technical services depot in Coatesville, Penn. Keystone is a factory-authorized service center for Bell, Eurocopter, MD Helicopter, Rolls Royce, Turbomeca, Pratt & Whitney, and Sikorsky products. Keystone was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft in 2005.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacturing and service. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX - News), based in Hartford, Conn. UTC provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

Everyone knows about Keystone, nothing new here.

A brave man will admit to defeat before his entire contingency is killed. Only a coward who fears for his image will lead his contingency into an ambush.

No, nothing new about Keystone. Just interesting to point out that neither Sikorsky, UTC or any of their holdings seem to be suffering. Just continued growth per the plan.

And your job with that plan.

Sorry, 1119, don't understand your comment.

I have been a part of this strike for 3 weeks. What i see is union members who seem to forget what they went out on stike for. 1st it was for medical insurance. now it's corporate greed. yah it could be all the same. Still having a hard time wondering why we did it. All i know enough is enough i'm done. I will be picking up my last union check today. Not pay my union dues! send in my letter and go back to my normal life on monday. This stike is just not worth the fight. I didnot want the strike in the first place i stood by my brothers and sisters on the picket line. Relized my brother and sister don't work for sikorsky. so on that note i say goodby to all my so called brothers and sisters.

Then what's the point of the plan then to take away all our jobs.

Just released! Yup were not going to build
jack shit outside........
This strike accelarated the following statement.
Well I guess the strike helped someone.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Keystone Helicopter Receives Customer Satisfaction Award From Rolls Royce
WEST CHESTER, Pa., March 1, 2006 — Keystone Helicopter Corporation has been honored for exceptional customer service by Rolls Royce. Rolls Royce presented Keystone with its Customer Satisfaction Award during a Feb. 24 award ceremony.
The Customer Satisfaction Award is given to an Authorized Maintenance Center (AMC) for superior satisfaction evidenced by customer feedback and field representative input. “It’s an honor to receive this award because it comes directly from our customers,� said David Ford, president of Keystone Helicopter.
About Keystone Helicopter
Keystone Helicopter is a full-service maintenance and completion center anchored by the Heliplex, a new state-of-the-art technical services depot in Coatesville, Pa. Keystone is a factory-authorized service center for Bell, Eurocopter, MD Helicopter, Rolls Royce, Turbomeca, Pratt & Whitney, and Sikorsky products. Keystone was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft in 2005. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp (NYSE: UTX), which provides high technology products and services to the aerospace and building industries.

*yawn*

The strike is old news. At this point its just boring and annoying. Either get something accomplished or move on... otherwise, you're just p*ssing into the wind... and screwing over the town and your family in the mean time. The inside has moved on... I think its time for you as well.

I was speaking of the overall business plan for the company, not this minor labor dispute. Obviously the plan for the company is to continue to grow an expand, as is true with every company. If the plan is to grow and expand in another state, then I suppose some CT jobs could be lost. Whatever the company's ultimate plan is, it seems to be going accordingly. I don't see much negative impact on the company when looking at the big picture, which is the point I was trying to make. I see a minor snafu for the company, a huge debacle for the union, but the ultimate winner will be whichever state they relocate to and the biggest loser will be the state of CT.

Alabama thanks all of the strikers for the work!

OK, let’s see - - -everything is conspiracy

The Web has eyes…..
It knows all….
It see’s all……

This blog knows everything…..

I think all the negative comments on this blog are being posted by aliens from outer space.

yall r screwed, u got to take the company's offer
or you want have a job, what part of that do you not understand

Just thought all of you still out there should know that I just spoke to my husband (who has the brains and courage to think for himself and has "crossed that line")and he told me that they brought in 80 more replacement workers today. He is also starting to see more and more familiar (and not so familiar faces) coming back to work. Just something to ponder!!

There needs to be some kind of happy medium in this country. We need some type of organization that can continue to help protect workers' rights and lobby for laws to keep workers safe, sound and happy, but that does not tie the hands of companies in the process. You cannot grow and expand as a company when you are shackled by a union. And employees, too, cannot grow and expand personally if they are locked into the "it's not my job" scenario. The work environment should be one where people are assigned certain tasks, but have the flexibility to reassign themselves or be reassigned to different tasks as the need arrises. Unions as they exist today do not allow for this flexibility and this, in my humble opinion, only stifles the company and the employee.

Anon at 11:37

Now THAT is the most intelligent thing I have seen on this blog!!

Did Tommy the scab Stabler really get hit by a fork truck. Who hit him?

1137 thanks you muchly. I'm a Sikorsky salaried spouse, but both of our families had strong union roots. Unfortunately, we both grew up to see what devastation unions can do if left to run unchecked. Plus, we have both had benefits as salaried employees that our parents and grandparents didn't have as hourly laborers, even with union protection. So we both see that there needs to be some meeting at the middle if the average American family is to continue living the average American lifestyle, whether hourly or salaried. Hopefully, this situation will raise some awareness and maybe a candidate will run for president in 2008 who's platform consists primarily of preserving the American middle and upper middle classes and raising the standards for the lower classes.

I'll second that yawn Shrimpy. ;<O

why ? do you want to take a collection for him ?

Shrimpy could really use a collection about now.

SCAB=someone who heals and protects.
Oh yeah it seems like people are starting to finally think for themselves. I do fine it intersting from reading this blog that most of you have given yourselves a time frame for this strike to be over. Let me see if you wait 4 weeks to cross does that make you a better scab?

Regardless of where you stand on the strike, there is one positive thing that has already come out. We've all had the chance to stand in anothers shoes.

For union members on strike, perhaps this is your husbands or wives shoes. Taking on their tasks. Developing a better understanding. Maybe when this is over, after a hard days work, you won't ask "Why isn't dinner ready?" and instead help.

For salary now working the line, now you get to run that test procedure that was written 10 years ago and needs revision. I already know of cases where test procedures have been revised cutting the time to run them in 1/2.

Even this blog has been educational. There's been a lot of garbage, but I've gotten pretty good at filtering after reading a few lines and can pick out useful insights. The benefit of free speech (as long as it isn't vulgar or threating) outweighs having to do a little filtering.

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SpongeBob says: "Go Back to work"

Has anybody checked out the union site today, the list has Decreased from 1.5% to 2%. Down to Approx 60 workers. Man, you have to love the way they do math. Does this mean my dues rather agency fee will Decrease down to $60?

Hey it's review time for the salaried people. We already pay for the insurance but at least we;re still getting our raises.

I believe that the vast majority of BS that has appeared on this blog has come from the hotheads of both sides, along with trolls and spammers. It is basic common sense, however, if one looks at things from a management perspective, to try to get the weaker strikers to cross the line. To do that, a certain dissension must be sown within the ranks. Are they carrying it to the extremes Goz parodied in his initial post? Of course not. Are they watching us with the legal means they have at their disposal from company property? They'd be fools not to, and to exploit anything they see that would be to their advantage.

The thing we have here is that the union, the company and the community have not experienced this sort of thing in over 40 years, and everything is new to most of us. Some of us have worked for other companies, and dealt with labor relations tactics and how they have changed over the years. Can I say from my own personal knowledge that the company is using these methods? I can only go by what I am seeing, and it does not take a rocket scientist to recognize propaganda (from either side) when I see it.

I just love to see all the strike pictures and blog writers that have over 20 years service with Sikorsky...you guys and gals haven't been out in the real working world for such a long time, how can you know what others are paying for health benefits...it's a lot more than 20 percent in most cases. You've been babied and suckled for so long and maybe the company will give in eventually but you're not learning anything towards a new career standing next to your barrels and sloppin' down hot dogs everyday. Show a little self discipline and don't let the union dictate the rules of war on which might possibly be the last good job of your life.

MEDICAL COVERAGE
You can select either a preferred provider program (PPO- no restrictions on provider selection) or an Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Both are sponsored by Blue Cross, one of the largest healthcare providers in the US. The charge for employee-only coverage under the HMO plan is $1.00/mo. and $9.00/mo. for the PPO. You can elect to cover your eligible dependents under either plan for an additional monthly charge. Vision benefits are available under the HMO and prescription drug benefits are available under both plans. Dental coverage is also available under both plans as an additional cost option through Delta Dental. Enrollment is 30 days after hire.

http://www.keystonehelicopter.com/bene.htm

Too bad Keystone's GREAT Medical benefits package won't last for long.

It has got to be illegal what Sikorsky has done. They refused to negotiate the Health Care forcing the workers to go on strike so that they would have just cause to expand operations elsewhere. I wonder how much money they will save?

I'm a Teamster - Strength and Pride
I ate Rocco's cyanide
Now I cannot pay my bills
While George David signs our wills!!

I'm a Teamster - 22 days
I walk the line in a foggy haze
Impovershed, hungry, mad, and bent
I wish I could just pay my rent!!

I'm a Teamster - United and Strong
I'm on strike for far too long
I wear a sign around my neck
Should I cross the line - Oh what the heck!!

I'm a Teamster standing in line
Collecting strike pay - It's all mine
Next checks available on Saturday
With $232, which bill should I pay??

I'm a Teamster - With my Picket
I get free coffee - that's the ticket
Stratford, Shelton, West Haven too.
We'll walk the line at plant near you!!

I'm a Teamster - Proud and True
I'll walk the line till my feet turn blue
Collect my Strike check on Saturday
And in a few weeks - Unemployment pay!!


I'm a Teamster - United and Strong
I'll walk this line till my job is gone
I think I'm special - Don't you know
Cause I graduated High School long ago!!

I'm a Teamster - Keeping the Faith
I'm Proud and Strong and it's scabs I hate
I got my 15 minutes of Fame
By keeping my name off the Wall of Shame

I'm a Teamster - It's the new Craze
22, 32, 42 Days
We know this strike ain't no joke
If it keeps up - We'll all be broke

I'm a Teamster, Proud and True
I walk the line, with the rest of my crew
Greedy, dumb, spoiled, and mad
I want my job back - WELL, TOO BAD!!!!

well if people just used their brains, they would understand that alot of people have to pay 20% of health insurance..

I have a question - why do you write things like how you are not going help people, those people are going to be lonely, sitting by themselves, etc... re: people who cross the line - SCABS as they are called? Why? I don't get it? It's no win situation whether you are a supporter or not of the union - whether you HAVE to cross the line no matter how much you believe in the union but your have to keep a roof over your family's head. I don't understand? Please explain and not in harsh, unsolicited, obnoxious way but in an adult way - as if you had to explain it to Jodi Rell!!

I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT ALSO...WHAT WILL ROCCO SAY TO JODI RELL?

Why do the salaried workies get abused verbally by the strikers? What are we supposed to do? You must remeber, we did not and do not have a choice in this whole exercise in stupidity. I, as a slaried worker, must report for work. If I do not, I get fired and get to walk the unemployment line. So back off of us slaried workers. I will gladly give you guys and gals you jobs back when it is all said and done.

for you salary guy.. i feel for you my husband has to deal with it too..

Why is the “UNION� allowed to bully people around?

Gee they get to beak laws.
Prevent people form going to work.
Prevent people from leaving work.
Blacklist their own Brother and Sisters.
Affect local business.
Affect the Town of Stratford Police Dept.
Affect the Town of Stratford Taxpayers.
Etc..etc…

Gee I’m surprised the “UNION� is not wearing Black Hoods and praising Allah!!!!

I feel for very one - I do. I thought I could handle it - I did - truly. But then I had my first experience of what it must be like for people who HAVE to cross the line or for the salary workers. I just don't get it! I just want a simple answer. You know, it's like religion in a way - you can't force your opinion on others - you can't. People have to do what they have to do - their beliefs are their beliefs. I understand that the more people that stand behind something and fight for it the better chance but when it comes to something that may not win and people just were never in the position in the first place - no matter what education level you have no matter how much money you had in the bank - things happen in the life that take toll sometimes unexpected and your life savings can dwindle then this hits - what do you do? Hate these people? Make them feel more uncomfortable then they already do? Put more stress on them? Just please again, explain as if you had to explain it to an elementary school class? And again - no need to call me names or be nasty and no need to be imature about it - I just want to understand it from a die hard union point of view b/c I truly don't!

Keystone Opens New State-of-the-Art Facility

Coatesville, Penn., March 13, 2006 – Keystone Helicopter, a leader in the rotorcraft industry for more than 50 years, is preparing to move into the newest addition to The Heliplex™.

Keystone recently received its certificate of occupancy from Sadsbury Township, for the second phase of the The Heliplex. “It is so exciting to finally open the doors of this beautiful facility to our employees and our customers,� said Bob Ferrucci, Vice President of Quality and Project Manager for expansion of the Heliplex. Nearly 250 employees occupy the existing 55,000 square feet. The new building is adding more than 75,000 square feet of hangar, office and shop space. The remaining 250 employees who currently occupy the West Chester, Penn. facility will move to the newly expanded facility in Coatesville over the next year.

“We designed the facility from the customers’ perspective, investing heavily in new shop capabilities and making sure the layouts would be more conducive to efficient, timely work flows. Our ISO-9000 initiatives and Kaizen innovations have helped along the way. We have room on this new site to grow in place literally for decades to come,� said Dave Ford, President of Keystone Helicopter.

Keystone Helicopter will break ground in late spring for the next phase of expansion that includes a 30,000-square-foot building that will house three new state-of-the-art paint booths.

About Keystone Helicopter

Keystone Helicopter is a full-service maintenance and completion center anchored by the Heliplex, a new, state-of-the-art technical services depot in Coatesville, Penn. Keystone is a
factory-authorized service center for Bell, Eurocopter, MD Helicopter, Rolls Royce, Turbomeca, Pratt & Whitney, and Sikorsky products. Keystone was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft in 2005.

"It has got to be illegal what Sikorsky has done. They refused to negotiate the Health Care forcing the workers to go on strike so that they would have just cause to expand operations elsewhere. I wonder how much money they will save?"

It is not illegal for a business to choose to relocate from one state to another. It's the free enterprise system. Check it out.

Also, it is not illegal for Sikorsky to implement one medical plan for everyone. They are not legally obligated to provide you with ANY medical plan, in fact. What they are giving you is a benefit, not a right.

The company didn't force you to strike, your union leaders did. Each and everyone of you is equipped with a brain. You have the freedom to think for yourself or to let your decisions be made for you by a union.

If the company relocates to a right-to-work state, they will save truckloads of cash. Let's take some parts of North Carolina or Virginia, as an example. Property taxes are less than half of what they are in CT. Personal income taxes are much lower. The cost-of-living in general is so much lower that Sikorsky hourly employees could earn less than half of what they make in CT and enjoy a comparable standard of living. Also, when you are in a right-to-work state, people compete for jobs, which means the company can fire you for poor performance and replace you immediately with someone who will do the job. So there are no more slackers, no more absenteeism, no more promoting someone just because they have been there forever, no more sandbagging and no more unnecessary overtime. That in and of itself will save millions upon millions of bucks.

But there will also be other financial advantages. Sikorsky's customers will be getting their products made just as well, but quicker and cheaper than ever before. This will result in even more contracts, worth even more billions of dollars. In short, the gravy train you used to ride before you went on strike is NOTHING compared to the one that awaits Sikorsky down south.

In August of 338 B.C., the Athenian orator and statesman Demosthenes was an infantryman at Chaeronea, where a great battle took place between the Athenians and the Macedonians. The Macedonians were victorious, and 3,000 Athenians died. Demosthenes fled from the battlefield and was subsequently censured because of his desertion. To anyone who later called him a coward, Demosthenes retorted, "The man who runs away may fight again." From that line is derived the modern day version "He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day."

More from the Waterbury Republican.

http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=4093&p=0

I hear you salary guy. I think swearing and screaming at a neutral party is stupid. Don't these people realize they may have to work with u guys again one day. I hate 2 facers. Hope to see you all soon.

From the SIk intranet:

1) MAC UPDATE

Staffing levels continue to climb, providing increased capacity and speed on the assembly line. Several factory transformation projects are under way to enable “lessons learned� to be applied in the future. Ground run tests are complete on two UH-60Ls, one of which will be presented today to DCMA QA for final inspection. Several aircraft are being prepped for water testing.

TOP

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) WCS SPARES UPDATE

Spares Shipping last Friday recorded its highest volume day since the strike began, shipping more than $2M of critical customer requirements, including EIBF kits, A to A Collector kits, Spindles, and Blades.

Shipment of all Commercial and Government spares has begun from an offload vendor location, including DCMA acceptance. This will streamline the shipment process, reduce process time, and eliminate unnecessary transportation costs.

The spares team will focus this week on the transition of kitting operations to offload vendors, and to implement process improvements in the warehouse storage and pick-up process. Sikorsky continues to deliver critical spares to the warfighter with increasing productivity.

We continue to off-load and outsource as quickly as possible or go lean.

Precision Ops has had a lot of machinery dismantled in preparation for newer machines as they realign it for lean. 40% or more of the former precision ops people will no longer be needed when it is done. SO far I have heard about 400-500 hourly jobs have been effectively eliminated between outsorcing, cell realignments, and lean cells.

Management is in no hurry to settle now. Productivity is climbing- albeit slowly- with all of these realignments and new machines. Word on the street is Sik will look to settle by mid- to end-April after they have finished the bulk of outsourcing and cell transformations. WHen they do about 1/3 of the hourly work force will no longer be required.

I predict that there will be no meetings between the company and union for the purposes of negotiations. There may be some passing back and forth of comments/documents via the mediator, but no return to the table. Ever.

I predict that the union members' meeting on the 15th will likely result in the union convincing its members to continue striking. I predict, however, that the number of those resigning membership and crossing the picket line will continue to steadily increase.

I predict an announcement late next week or early the following week by Sikorsky outlining it's plan for relocating some operations out of state.

I predict that the congressional delegation and governor will be just as successful as keep Sikorsky in-state as they were with MedWestvaco.

I see that no one can answer my question but instead we're back to swearing and screaming at each party. It's pathetic and at times I am embarrassed to say I have a spouse that is or has to be part of the union b/c I have not seen on any of the messages on this blog, in the newspaper, or on TV any display of professionalism, maturity, etc... If my spouse decides to cross the line I will make sure I follow in my car, I'll pull over and I'll write their name on the Wall of Shame broad then wave as they go in being proud of doing what they need to do.

From the Waterbury Republican AMerican

"We'd been living life large," Beth said, pointing to the 61-inch television in their living room and the Lexus parked in the driveway. "We just redid our kitchen and we took vacations every year."

From a combined income of $140,000 a year..."

I have zero sympathy now- they make 3 times what my wife and I make as we drive 4+ and 8+ year old cars and have the same 32" TV we've had since 1998. The last vacation we took was 3 years ago.

And you people are striking for 31 cents an hour? Puh-leeze! I hope Sikorsky moves out of state now or gets rid of you all. Then you can come live like the rest of us live in this state.

1:06 pm NO KIDDING, isn't that why the US economy is suffering so much and so many people are unemplyed because the only loyalty BIG CORPORATIONS have is to MONEY.

Talk about GREED...

Actually the above quote is from a UNION worker- that article really didnt put the union in the best light. It showcases all of these poeple complaining about not being able to eat out every night, how they actually have to drive to the grocery store instead of using a delivery service, etc etc.

Their making as much or more money then some executives.

Zero sympathy to the union parasites sucking every drop of blood from corporations until a huskis left.

I'm not connected in any way to your union or your company. I'm just an outsider who likes reading your blog. Your entries have been beneficial to read. I've been on both sides of the labor world and I believe you are doing a great service sharing your thoughts here.
Thanks!

This is what bothers me most about the scab situation. How many people on the picketline that are yelling "scab" are in the same financial shape at the people in the Waterbury Republican article? Can they even fathom the financial situations some of the linecrossers are living with? I'll bet some of these linecrossers have disabled spouses and/or young children. What about if these same people have only been with the company a short time and haven't had time to save anything?

The union goes on and on about how the company is not being fair to them, but are they being fair to their own members? Is it fair to expect your members to not take their babies to the dcotor? Babies go to the doctor every 4 weeks. Unless the union makes provisions for people in extreme situations, they will get no respect or support from the public.

I thought we were going to take today off now I find out it's Wednesday?

80 new guys started work today on the line.

There was a question asked twice, and no one seems to want to answer it.

Why are union members that have decided to strike berating, swearing, and defaming salary people that have no choice but to work & the so-called scabs that have returned obviously because of financial hardships.

How many of you people labeling the scabs knows they’re situation. Many people had no idea this strike was actually going to happen because they figured the membership would realize that this type of fight is senseless.

They figured, once the 4-3 day work week was taken off the table, everyone would more or less agree with the contract. At first this thing was about members not wanting to pay more for insurance, then it turned into the members protecting the rights of future workers, now it's the members protecting the rights of the free world. Which one is it?????????

Seems to me like you all keep changing your mind every time your approval ratings go down. The public is disgusted with you, the town of Stratford is disgusted with you, and your all for the most part viewed as a bunch of overpaid babies that are spoiled rotten.

If someone is about to loose everything, and they've gotten sick to boot. Who the hell are any of you to make them feel bad for making the hardest decision of they're life.

They know they're going to be taunted and ridiculed, yet they drive through those gates anyway. Not because they’re trying to BUST your precious union, it's because they've run out of options, and it's not your place to judge them and say what they could have done or should have done.

You call yourself adults.............. only children behave as badly as you. I pray none of you are ever in they're shoes.

Now please, somebody answer the question, why ridicule people for doing something they feel as though they have to do? Is anybody threatening to slash your tires just because you walk a picket line? Or are you afaid of attempting to answer the question because you know in your hearts there is no good answer?

Jeez, my heart bleeds all over their Lexus.

What about the people that voted to accept the contract because they read it and thought it a fair deal. Should these people be forced to ruin their lives because others voted to reject a contract that some are now screaming to accept? You have just as much right to resign from the union and go to work as the others do to walk the line. Don't belittle sombody just because they don't agree with you. Last time I checked, this was still a free country

Coming right from the mouths biting the hand that fed them...

Beth and Jim Miller state:

"It's a good company, you know," Beth said. "It is one of the better paying companies in the area and it has helped us get the tools to get another job. They have treated us fairly."

what? what??? what???? What are all those unfair labor practice signs for than???

Wow, and not to mention, earlier in the article, they said they went on strike only because the rest of the union wanted to. That's thinking for yourself... might want to think about trading down your lexus.

Thank you, Tired.

Why is there not more salary people walking the line with us after you get out of work?
You can come after work and show support. With 6000 of you only about 50 ever show up. Come stand we us and show your support.

Don't vent your frustrations here for the public to see. It does no good but to make salary and hourly look like asses. If salary could walk the line they probably would.
Go to the meeting on the 15th and make no excuses as to why you can not go. This meeting is for all hourly UNION members only and is important for you all to be there. Ask your questions and don't leave until you're comfortable with the answer.
Good luck to all both salary and hourly. We need to work together on this. All of our jobs depend on it.

Why is there not more salary people walking the line with us after you get out of work?
You can come after work and show support. With 6000 of you only about 50 ever show up. Come stand with us and show your support.

Well said Tired.
I believe that there are people in the union, who don't understand that sometimes,life happens. Things that weren't expected, take their toll on the person that they happen to.
My husband crossed the line last week, due partly to financial circumstances, I am extremely proud of the fact that he did what he needed to do.

I just came from a meeting of fellow salary workers, and we all agree we are tired of being used as pawns in this labor dispute between the Union and UTC.
We would like to ask all of our salary workers, from all UTC divisions that are working in Sikorsky, to take Wednesday March 15, 2006 off, to force the two sides together.
If we all just take off one day, hopefully we can go back to our normal work life.

When you accept membership into a union, you lose the right to bargain for yourself. It's supposed to protect you from your evil employer, but sometimes it just bites you in the ass!

Salaried don't picket because they have nothing to protest.

Thank you, Tired. It seems as if no one - union member - can answer this question. I guess it is true what my spouse says - it's a mob mentality! That's how riots start and when some of them are arrested or approached by the public or families that they hurt and asked why? They can't answer it b/c they don't know why - they just got caught up in it and got caught way too deep. I heard of people yelling to drivers crossing the line that they have their license plate #s - well it is a lot easier to get the union strikers license plate numbers b/c they are all lined up on the side of the road. I jsut don't get it! With no answer or response just seeing more ridicule and stupid comments - I can honestly saw I am proud that I am not a union believer and especially after I read that article in the Waterbury Repulican. They took all they could and now they are think they can find a company that is going to treat them better - I don't think so. Healthcare is the same ALL over the place. I pay $10 more than they will when they return and it will be $10 more 3 years later believe me. Thanks again, Tired!

We don't walk the line with you because we don't support your strike. If you were marching in DC or Hartford, then we would sympothize with you, but we don't feel it's UTC or Sikorsky's fault that health insurance is expensive. HEll, I'm just happy that we only have to do 80/20, it's only going to keep getting worse. How many years do you think it's going to be before it costs 30-50k per employee for health coverage? Prob only like 10-15 years, I don't blame the company for not wanting to pay for MY health insurance.

i agree with 208.

I voted for the contract.

People were saying "oh it will only be a week"

well, I've only been at sikorsky for 8 months. I need the money. I have a family. I saved in case of a strike, but now the time is up. My kids need health coverage. I will wait until the meeting, see what those BOZOS have to say, and then go back to work.

Unless the strike ends this week, I have no other options.

Just ran into an old friend of mine at the Credit Union, he has been retires for 2 years, was a salary, then an hourly worker, he does not know all that much about working on the "floor", funny thing is, the company called him to see if he is interested in working again!! A 66 year old guy, with not mush work experience, that is the replacement workers they want to hire, and they arent feeling the heat.....okay, tell me that, I have a bridge for yous that believe that one! He also knows alot of salary guys still on the job, they ALL tell him there is not much getting doen inside, so dont believe anything that you hear. As far as Sikorsky outsourcing overseas, these helis are built with US tax dollars, Im sure an over seas company has a great chance of getting our work, even though The Presidential was given to Augusta, I have been told that will be coming back also, so anyone who thinks the company isnt hurting, think again. As far as permanent replacement workers, thats all fiction, it CANT happen, we HAVE to be callee back, and then you say we will be laid off, well a layoff can ONLY happen do to lack of work, and there is no lack of work around the corner, so all union people relax, it should be settled soon, one way or another, but even if we lose, this healthcare thing is getting the attention it desereves, so we did do good in any event!

Your very welcome "Question" post 02:23

Seems like the question is still in the air and will remain.

Any takers??????????????

to rip rap, you are the reason we are on strike, to at least try to do something about health care in our case, and country wie if we can. Instead of being like you and all the others that just want to keep paying, and paying, until you dont have anythging to live on. You keep ghoing and paying while your companies keep getting richer. With idiotic comments like those, that makes me feel good to at least be trying to make a difference instead of getting the corporate shaft up my butt!

Hey Anon 2:23, is that the same salary meeting you went to on Friday, and Thursday? hahah, you are so stupid, go put your head in your toilet and see if you can really breath underwater.

Salary workers aren't paranoid of paid bloggers on here. It's funny though, that the paranoid are the ones trying to act like salary.

Go take a nap, you are making Teamsters look stupid, and you all aren't, but whoever is making these stupid ass comments is really making you guys look dumb.

Whatever you think, 2:27. It's your funeral. Just be careful, though. What is happening in one part of the plant may not be true for the rest of it.

good comeback 2:32, now get back to your comp before UTC lets you go...

Do I hear a mass flow of pissed off , lied to , soon to be line crossers?...........Hell Yeah!!! I gaurantee and promise you this, if this wednesday's meeting dosen't contain the words, RE-VOTE, SEE YA !!!!

If you freaks want money so f'ing bad, then go out there, dig up a little entrepreneurial spirit and make a few million of your own, but demanding that someone else give you their hard-earned cash just because you want it is nothing more than GREED.

Tired, that is exactly the point, it does turn into a mob mentality. I know alot of people in SIK that joined the union because of the agency fee law that was passed a few years ago. Myself included. I thought, since I have to pay, I may as well pay the extra 2 bucks and get the union "support". well in all those years, this union did absolutly nothing for me. I never once filed a grievance to get a promotion. Now when it comes time to think for yourself, if you don't agree with the Mob you're a scab. Well then call me a Scab, a Proud one at that

to Anonymous @2:27 - I hear alot also but who's right and what do you can you believe? I work for corporate america - big corporate america - SIK size corporate america - unfortunately, anything can happen. You may / will get your jobs back but within a second - one smart a** remark like the ones that I read here - you're out! No warning - no protection from the union - but a legal, affirmative action. It's call no tolerance. There are no guarantees in life - not even for die hard union members or faithful hourly or salaried workers who have given 25 year to life for SIK or anywhere else. It's like your health - no guarantees. You do what you can to know that whatever you did you did what you thought was right - and here we go right back to what I have been asking and writing about - everyone should keep their opinions to themselves and do remember - Rocco has his weekly paycheck waiting for him - where as the other union members don't!

I'm 2:32 and I don't work. I don't have to. I've already made my way.

I just went down to the hangar, and not only is everything running smoothly, they are ahead of schedule. I also spoke to one of the hangar managers who indicated that a ton of his guys have called him to discuss getting their jobs back.... he has no reason to lie to me.. he even listed names. And from the names I heard, I really hope you do come back.... I knew you were the smart ones.. you are also the hard-working ones... and Im glad it was confirmed. You're missed.

to Anonymous @ 2:27 - I hear alot also but who's right and what and who can you believe? I work for corporate america - big corporate america - SIK size corporate america - unfortunately, anything can happen. You may / will get your jobs back but within a second - one stupid (and you know what I mean by stupid) remark like the ones that I read here - you're out! No warning - no protection from the union - but a legal, affirmative action. It's call no tolerance. There are no guarantees in life - not even for die hard union members or faithful hourly or salaried workers who have given 25 years to life for SIK or anywhere else. It's like your health - no guarantees. You do what you can to know that whatever you did you did what you thought was right - and here we go right back to what I have been asking and writing about - everyone should keep their opinions to themselves and do remember - Rocco has his weekly paycheck waiting for him - where as the other union members don't!

hey anon 2:31:

You missed my point, you must have only read the first sentence of my post. I said, we WOULD join you, if you were protesting at a useful place, like a government building. Why are you walking at Sikorsky? It's not their fault healthcare is out of control.

If I followed your reasoning, I would go on strike and protest at Sikorsky because I'm sick of paying 25% of my paycheck to taxes (might be 20%, but you get the point). Do you see why we are all perplexed??? Shouldn't Sikorsky pay for my taxes, since they are "SO RICH" and "SO GREEDY"?

That's why we don't support you, you fighting the wind. Go fight the root of the problem, not the result of it!

Exactly, the root cause of this problem is not this company or any company. It's the way our government continues to allow the health care industry rip us off. It's the fault of people faking illness/injury to get more money for nothing. It's the fault of ambulance chasing lawyers and malpractice insurance companies. Sikorsky makes helicopters. Period. You want to fight the good fight, then fine, but at least know your enemy before you start slinging bullets.

Sorry, almost forgot one... the drug manufacturers are ripping us off, too!

Guy at 2:06 - Did you ever hear of a period???

But it's still "SIKORSKY", that will not stray from CIGNA to better suit they're so called family. Why?,....because they own too much of it. Is it entirely the company's fault?, of course not, our legislators should have stepped in and done something about monopolizing of heathcare.

To Tired and Also Tired - it's a shame isn't. It's like screaming in the wind and no one hears it or wants to hear it. You have chosen good "names" Tired it's perfect. I'm tired of the whole thing as well as every other individual who hears it. Unfortunately, the Teamsters where something to be "afraid" of and to "respect" all in one breath - the where the grand poo pas of all grand poo pas and now they look like the poor old god fathers getting killed off on the Sopranos. How desparate it all sounds - I know this sounds pathegic like that rest of the blogs and I'm not trying to say it in the tone - it saddens me. I know many individuals who have parents who are union members and yet when discussing this particular strike they just shake their heads - the loss of trust and belief in the union is a shame - not to me - but to the ones that truly believe that the union is - now I should say - was there to help them and do good for them. I haven't seen one good thing yet. I hope for everyone's sake they come back. I did hear an interesting thing though - sorry for the long winded note - that SIK took away the Union sections w/in their building - I am sort of starting to fear for them when they return if this doesn't sort out - not fearful for the ones that cross line but the ones the have been carrying on w/the mob mentality - when they return there will be no corner for them to hide in

I mailed my letter today to the union ,been a teamster for 14years it was very hard to come to this conclusion.Anyone that may hate me for going back to work can walk a mile in my shoes then judge ,but not before.I know when everyone is back those of us who crossed will be the"outcasts"thats alright because my family needs me

Right on back to work..

to those who cross - a little something to keep in mind!

LIFE IS NOT A JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING SAFELY IN A PRETTY AND WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN BROADSIDE, THOROUGHLY USED UP, TOTALLY WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY PROCLAIMING

-- WOW --

WHAT A RIDE!!!

FOR THOSE CROSS!! GOD BLESS! YOU'LL BE THE ONES TO SUCCEED AND HAVE THE MOST RESPECT FROM ALL!

Tommorrow's a full moon, should be interesting

Everybody is getting paranoid... even the blog admin..

Self distruction is coming. Sounds like the Union
or un-Union is coming apart. Who do you trust?
Snapping at loved ones? Can't even trust Rocco, or Jackson, or can we? Soon each will be out for
themselves.

Oh and I'm sure the company is watching this blog.
Maybe they are watching you too!! What about the new guy (or girl)? How about the old timer?
Uhhmmmm???

New t-shirts are coming for you when you
return strikers
"Will fold in a moments notice"

Hey I'm looking for a used F150 or F250.
Any teamsters selling them yet? Could put a lot of
food on the table!!!

Wow - what a waste!

Here's you list - no but I think there was a Lexus right?

HEY I WANT TO SEE IF ANYONE WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN
A STRIKE CHRISTMAS PARTY. I'M THINKING AROUND THE BEGINING OF DECEMBER!!!!

SINCE YOU GUYS LIKE STRIKE PARTYS!!!

On all of our tombstones there will be two dates.

The date of our birth and the date of our death, with a dash in the middle.

It's not the dates that are important........... It’s the dash.

What you did with your life, how you treated others, how you treated your family, what you stood up for, what you believed in, what you had to do during the hard times.

Everyone is doing what they have to do.

All I ask is that we do it respectfully and with compassion for each other.

None of this is easy, why hate each other making it more difficult than it already is?

I love the fact that there are fewer of you on the picket lines, yet some of you still yell
things at me as I drive through. I'm sure HR has you
right on the top of the list to bring back!!!

I hope the company cuts all OT for you strikers for the next 6 months!!!

serves you right!!!

I am on strike, 25 year employee, but I dont like being out, and Id NEVER cross the picket line, how come noone is congratualting me or any other self respecting strikers? I will tell you why, its cuz the company has there people posting on here, and alot of them, and only the crossers(I hate the scab word myself) are being praised. I mean honestly, I have seen alot of strikes on T.V., and never questioned why the picketeers were doing it. Here I see alot of doomsday people, putting us down as lazy, un-educated, thugs, mobsters, etc, I dont understand it? I have never done anything to any salary workers going in to work, that is their responsibilty, they HAVE to go in. I wave to the ones I have come to know and like, and they wave back, its nothing personal. I have seen salary try to organize a union about 12 years ago, so if they could, you could bet your paychecks on it salary would unionize, depsite what they say here. Anyways, just dont believe too much you see hear, we have all kinds writing here, and noone would know who they are, so they can write what ever they like, but one thing is for certain, when this is settled, hourly and salary will be back in working together, as is needed. Bottom line, with no salary, we have no hourly and vice versa, so get over the name calling, cuz I never saw it on the inside before, and hopefully wont when we get back to work.

Hey on strike:
Went outside to get the mail before and heard a loud cracking sound.

I'm pretty sure that was the bank closing your accounts!!!
Or it could have been the repo man coming for your shinny new truck!!!

lololololooolooololololololololololol!!

We are not congratulating you because we think you are all nuts!! None of you are self respecting either! And I DO NOT work for the company>

Don't worry, Buffet. UTC is taping the picket lines 24/7. All their mideeds will come back to haunt them.

Popping in to remind all that Teamsters should listen to 600 AM radio instead of being on this blog. Great support. Also reminding all teamsters of that comment I've read a couple times here and there, the person who spoke to the two people who started union and retired salaried management from AT&T, I think it was, that they both replied SCABS suffer the most from all of this. Also reminding teamsters of the other comment I've read about the guy who put 41 years in and went through the previous strike for 3 months, came back, and everything was just like they left it. Remember, this is all company propaganda on this site. Even the people on here saying I'm fed up and am crossing the line and going back to work, blah, blah, blah, all company. Scare tactics. Bully tactics. I encourage all Teamsters, if there are any, to enjoy the beautiful weather, listen to 600 AM radio, and to stay off this blog. Let salary duke it out with salary, thinking that it's the Teamsters. That's funny. Have a great day all, and remember to hang tough. We've got the support. Oh yeah, rally at Gate 2 this Saturday but forgot which Local was doing it.

I like it too that the union tells you not to go back (cross the line) because you will be judged on
your job performance!!!
Welcome to the real world boys and girls. If your quality or your attitude sucks, your gone!!!

AAAhhh I think its called accepting responsiblity for ones own actions!!!

should read misdeeds

Hey Yup!!!
Rocco is selling his Lexus for the Cause??

Thats funny. I got a bridge for you!!

to heres your list,
the word is shiny, not shinny, and I have a truck, an F-250, not for sale though. Does my owning a 250 make me a union member, lazy, etc, whats the context of your stupid post? Or maybe, you are losing your job and need a landscaping vehicle to make ends meet, funny, thats what I use mine for, and I make good money too, especially with my full time job at Sikorsky, so go away, get alife, and learn to spell, and God help us if you are working on anything of impoprtance there!

25 year employee - I can tell you why at least I can guess why no one is congratulating you it's b/c of the others that are speaking out in a manner that is unappealling - they are representing you. I'm sure you were taught and if you have children - you taught them - that you are judged by the company you keep. Think about it. I commend you for standing by what you believe in. God bless and I hope it works out for you - but I think what people are trying to say is that your co-partners are calling these people SCABs - I realize that this is a term that goes back years and years ago - but they aren't thinking about what these individuals are going through - but they are quick to judge aren't they? Maybe you are keeping quiet and being respectful and all but they aren't and they are representing the union which you are a part of. I read about that poor man who has been a die hard union member for 25 years and all he did was drop paper off and look what your peers did to him look what his peers did to him. How can we pat these people on their back? Thank you too for explaining your side and explaining it in an adult manner and professional manner - I wish more people were like you speaking out not these others who are giving the union a questionable reputation. Good luck

Thanks question, its not that I am looking for congratulations either, its just I wonder why so many are anti union, most of us are hard workers, just like most salary are too, and I would hope more people would support us, not just 1150, or any local for that matter, what is happening here is middle America trying to fight the big guy, and if, and I mean if we had support from all over, this would be settled, and the much larger problem facing all of AMERICA , which is a national health care crisis would be fought.

To Anonymous @ 3:19 - I know

If everyone took the initiative to live a healthier lifestyle, maybe costs wouldn't be so bad? Stop waiting for the government or Sikorsky to do something. You can do your own part everyday. Stop smoking, stop drinking, stop eating fast food.

Less trips to the doctors = less claims paid by insurance companies.

Less claims paid by insurance companies = lower premiums for employers.

Lower premiums for employers = more money in your pocket.

I was in a parking lot this afternoon and a woman noticed the "TEAMSTERS ON STRIKE" sign in the back seat of my car.
She told me that she wanted to thank me for walking the picket line.
I thought that was the so nice. But i was confused about why she was thanking me.
She informed me that she feels that this strike is not just about healthcare for the Teamster, but it is about healthcare for our children and our childrens children.
I was moved to tears. What a nice lady. And she is a relative of Al Balis. You have a nice family Al.
Isn't ashame some of us couldn't even hold out 1 month.

For what its worth..Just came out of torque training and there were 70 people with yellow badges from all over the country with prior aircraft experence. 30% had A&P licenced... and 90 more coming tomorrow. Sikorsky is in this for the long haul!

I thought her sign said "Honk if You're Horny!"?

I sit and wonder here about what people are thinking? I personally dont care what a person is, hourly or salary, or what amount of money they make. George David has no bearing on any of us to put it bluntly, so why worry about him? I myself dont even care about strike crossers, I just wont ever talk to them, and they have to live with themselves,I hope they are happy with their choice, as I am with mine to sit this out. This is typical Sikorsky mindset, worry about all others, not yourself, always has been, so I see nothing changing. I just want to hear at Weds meetint union hall, where we stand, where we are heading, and any new developments, I want to hear them for myself, not from radio, nor this forum. After Weds meeting, hopefully this will go to a re-vote, with some twist to the contract, but if not, I shall stand with my choice to strike, not cuz Rocco mislead me, cuz I have a brain of my own, just cuz what I see, corporate greed is killing our GREAT country, and a stand has to be made somewheres! We have money for Katrina,Israel, we have money for Africa for aids, lets get real, this country is going down the tubes, and we are just standing by watching, I dont get it? We march on Washington for aids, million man marches, and all other self serving things, why dont we have a march on Washington, demanding health care for all, sounds too logical to me.

I believe people are anti-union because they see lazy workers that the union protects while if your an individual with several job talents its "not my job discription "attitude which leads to atiquated work forces and people feeling they can show up not work and be paid

Can anybody tell me how much (on average) you pay for health insurance now? How much has it gone up in the past six years?

Have you heard of HSAs of HRAs?

These are the facts:
From 2000 to 2004, National Employer Health Plan Premiums have INCREASED 57.1%.
The National Health Expenditures (NHE) per Capita INCREASED 35.1%.

Everything is getting expensive, step up to the plate and face the music before you lose your job to replacements. Don't be a bunch of crybabies.

To post 03:28

I agree with most of your comments concerning the crisis of healthcare in this country.

But it sounds like you've already made up your mind as well to play judge & executioner to the people who crossed the line.

That's sad, your determined to not talk to a group of people that made a decison that is different from yours.

Since they don't or can't do what your doing, that makes them worthless. Worhtless to the point that they'll only receive hatred from you.

This strike is a sad commentary on the human condition and what people are turning into.

I have only ever had two employer-provided medical plans... the one I have now with Sikorsky and the one I had through the military. I gotta say that I had better coverage in the military and never had to pay a dime for anything health-related, but it's worth the few extra bucks to not get shot at on a daily basis.

Bottom line, we should all agree to disagree but carry enough respect for each other to stop the hurt.

Hurry up and go back to work before you lose what little support you have with the general public. Imagine if SIK really does bring in new people, outsource, or just move down south. When you all end up on unemployment/welfare everyone will hate you because their taxes will go up to support you because you did not want to pay your fair share for your healthcare. You won't get an ounce of sympathy from anyone.

"I have a bridge for yous that believe that one"
anon 2:27

"Yous" is not a word, unless you are either 1)an Italian mobster 2)ignorant or 3)a union guy! Oh wait, you are probably all of the above!!!!

One good thing, all of the overweight union people walking around are probably getting healthier. Keep on walking!!

No they are not. They are eating like pigs with all the free food Stella's if bringing them!

THIS IS FOR POST 3:28 I AGREE WITH YOU TO A CERTAIN EXTENT! BUT I BELIVE IT IS GOING TO TAKE ALL OF TEAMSTERS NOT JUST 1150 TO STAND UP TO THE HEALTH CARE ISSUE AND THEY NEED TO TAKE THIS TO UTC HEADQUARTERS AS A UNITED FRONT. 1150 MIGHT NOT WIN THIS ONE BUT AT LEAST WE HAD THE BALLS TO STAND UP FOR IT! LETS SEE IF OTHER UNIONS IN THE COUNTRY DO THE SAME A MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE ALL THE UNIONS IN THIS COUNTRY GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND LET MR. BUSH HEAR IT LOAD AND CLEAR THAT WE DON'T LIKE IT!

sorry about that one 3:44, just a typo, I am not Italian,far from ignorant, unlike yourself to critize a typing error, but I am a union guy, so your hitting .333, now in baseball you would be great, but in life, hitting .333, you suck!!

I am not ignorant either, I am getting my paycheck every week!!

Heres one for all the might salary people that think they are doing our jobs. I had a check not delivered to me on 2/16, from pay date ending 2/12. I never received the check, so I had to fax a form to payroll(another out sourced dept), they sent me the fax confirmation last Monday. As of today, still no check, so I just called back a few moments ago, was on hold for 20 mins. The woman tells me we just got confirmation from the bank, your check will be mailed tomorrow. Bottom line here, if this one small outsourced dept cant even get my check to me in 4 weeks, how the frig are all these salary and outsource places gonna build a Black Hawk!!

they still continue to lie !!!
please put me on the list Jas s.

Here is an idea. If the union has all of the know how to build a helicopter, and claim that Sikorsky treats them so unfairly, why don't they get together to form their own company and build a helicopter that would directly compete with Sikorksy?

That way they can pay each other whatever they want including free healthcare! I'm sure the union knows everything about engineering, aerodynamics, business economics, sales and marketing, research and development, technical support, infrastructure, law, patents, contracts, accounting, material procurement, staffing...

none of us claim to be able to build a helicopter all inclusive, unlike the salary people claiming they can do our jobs! But we ARE the ones who build them, and make this company what it is, whatever you may think, so go away, and get your rattle and blankie!

JUST LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO BUILD HELICOPTERS RIGHT POST 4:01

You've seen those commercials with the one guy making his presentation (probably hourly dude), and all the monkeys he's got in the room? Ring a bell? Think monkeys. Give 'em a banana and they'll tell you anything you want to hear. Monkey see Monkey do.

According to the American and English Encyclopedia of Law, you can request not to have your name be printed on the wall of shame if for whatever reason you return to work, ie; out of money, sick family, tired of being lied to , etc. It is a form of Defamation of character, ie; libel, or slander, and can have serious recourse for the originator(s).

It's the people with ideas that make a company. Whether they are salary or hourly.

THE JACK-ASS COMMERCIAL IS MORE YOU THAN THE MONKEYS! STOP BEETING YOUR SELF UP SO BAD YOU SOUND MORE LIKE A COLLAGE PROFESSER!

Don't Judas me.

FYI - I believe those are chimpanzees in the commercial you are refering to. And what is funnier than a chimp lighting a cigar with a $20 bill??

To post 03:53

Your right, this fight is with the politicians and the health insurance industry.

I personally think losing thousands of dollars in pay, sign on bonuses and what ever else ALL of us have lost was not the way to go.

It probably would have been better to work while the union tried to negotiate something with the company. Then be honest with the membership by telling us that they’re was no way UTC was going to budge. (Which they're not)

We should have as individuals come together and rally to fight the rising costs of healthcare, and not just local 1150 but as a nation. This strike has gained nothing for us.

Yes there is a temporary spotlight now, but once this all blows over, the media, the papers, and all the politicians who were on the picket line will be back to business as usual. (and will forget about us and the strike) The only things that will have transpired is a reduction in work (because of the outsourcing) and a reduction in staff, a community that has contempt for us, and a very unstable future for all.

Using bully tactics to get a better health care plan was a bad decision. This isn't 1930, the company wasn't reducing our salaries down to $10.00 dollars an hour, they weren't letting people go because of frivolous reasons.

Many of the practices that former corporations of yesteryear practiced are gone. This contract didn't justify a walk out, and we're all going to pay for it in some small measure.

A Teamster with no cigar and no twenty would be funnier.

Things are happining, FAST! Small Parts Bonding - GONE!!
Replacement workers arrived today (at least 60)for training and deployment. More coming Tuesday and Wednesday.
At this rate there won't be jobs left for long!

A salary guy gets on a plane and finds himself seated next to an hourly guy. To occupy his time on the trip, he figures he'll stroke his own ego for a bit, turns to the hourly guy:
"You know," he says, "I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger. So let's talk."
The hourly guy, who had just opened his book, closes it and says to the salary guy, "What would you like to discuss?"
"Oh, I don't know," says the salary guy, smiling. "How about health care?"
"OK," says the hourly guy. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first: A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff -- grass. Yet, the deer excretes little pellets, the cow turns out flat patty, and the horse produces muffins of dried poop. Why do you suppose that is?"
The salary guy is dumbfounded. Finally, he replies, "I haven't the slightest idea."
"So tell me," says the hourly guy, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss health care when you don't know shit?"

Having the "balls" to stand up for something is not admirable when its a lost cause.Be smart and choose a battle worth fighting.When these events take place eveybody loses in the end balls and all!!

You know, it's kind of pathetic, really. The company sends you letters offering you your jobs back and they are assholes. But if they'd hired replacements without giving you the opportunity to come back, then they'd be assholes. Jeez, what do you want already?! They give you up to $3k for a signing bonus, guaranteed annual raises of 3.5% that you don't even have to EARN and increased contributions to pension/401k plans. And THEY are assholes. Well, they might be assholes, but they are MY kind of assholes. You, on the other hand, are a bunch of dumb schmucks!

I vote for a re-vote.

knighthawk321- you are an observant fellow, it was in part a parody.

in other shoes - great comment- easily top five thus far

ALL- I also have developed the ability to cull the lousy, nonsensical comments from the ones that are not.

Goz

Okay, all together now...

THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU TO VOTE ON ANYMORE! YOU REJECTED THE CONTRACT. THERE HAS TO BE A NEW OFFER BEFORE THERE CAN BE A VOTE.

Anyone but me getting tired of having to repeat this for all the slow learners out there?!

Heard Rosa Delauro on WICC this morning.She was in North haven for a meeting with labor leaders on healthcare issues, but guess what labor leader did not attend? Thats right ROCCO!

Oh, crap, did we forget to pick him up from the Marriott! Quick, someone send a car!

It is so curious why the 1150 website is not updated more frequently. Seems like people would want up to date information yet Saturday's information is still on-line Monday afternoon. Are they dealing with a bunch of mushrooms here?

Psychological Operations

General Overview

Psychological operations (Psyops) are "planned actions to convey selected information and indicators to target audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. The purpose of psychological operations is to induce or reinforce attitudes and behavior favorable to the originator’s objectives."

Psyops can be an integral part of the broad range of business strategies connected with political, economic, and informational activities that may be undertaken to achieve short, medium or long term business objectives.

Psyops can, if implemented properly, lower the morale and reduce the efficiency of corporate opposition and can also create dissidence and disaffection within the target organization. Conversely and concurrently, Psyops can enhance the probability of strategy success.

The site was updated today, apparently Rocco and Harvey and their lawyers were up all weekend working on some kind of proprosal to give to the mediator this afternoon. Hope it included the 80/20!

The article in the paper said that the cost of providing medical insurance in Connecticut is the highest in the nation, second only to Alaska. Why is that? Perhaps that is what we need to be asking. What is it about CT that makes it so expensive to insure our residents' health? It seems to me that all the politicians who supposedly support your efforts to combat the rising cost of health care are probably the real cause of it!

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF ROCCO'S OFFER INCLUDES THE 80/20? THIS COULD BE A MAJOR BLOWOUT IF IT DOESN'T.

Just wondering if anyone knows where Hoffa is staying. I mean, didn't he promise to stay with you during this fight?

With your wife while your at work

I think all Stratford residents should be assigned a member of the union, which is on strike. We should strike at there homes.....
Make lots of noise, see if we can cause the police to come out and watch these demonstrations. Lets try and run up there town taxes.

GET OUT OF MY TOWN or GET BACK TO WORK.
and BY THE WAY....

I could Careless if Sikorsky leaves the state.
I could come up with a million other things to do with that land and generate more $$$. Then your lazy A$$es.

We all have crazy health care costs. If that's your real concern, get your "Leaders" to do some real lobbying in Washington.

THE FAT AND LAZY

Most of us in other words. We smoke to much, eat to much, and excercise to little. Why? I have no idea. A women from Canada once asked me if fining Americans for unhealthy lifestyles might help. My off-the-cuff answer still rings true: "If someone is behaving in a way that's going to prematurely end their life, do you think a $200 fine is going to make difference?"
What is my solution for soaring health-care costs?
I only can give a diagnosis. But that should make it clear that there is no single cure--because there is no single problem. Any serious fix for the system will require six or eight pills, not one. And even that will be a treatment not a cure.

Sorry, hon, I'm not a lesbian. I don't have a wife. Bet you won't have one either by the time this is all said and done!

Yes I will cause it's not all about money. Glad she's not as shallow as you are.

Yes, we can all see that it's your personality she's so crazy about. LOL! What a schmuck!

These personal attacks are quite entertaining, but I just watched the 5pm news and nothing new is being reported. Does anyone have anything of value to add to the old blog this evening?

It was a nice day out.Got the yard cleaned up.

No, man, she's crazy about his Teamsters jacket and beer gut!

Joe Blow your ol'lady don't seem to mind.

Sikorsky presents new offer to Teamsters:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060313/nem044.html?.v=30

The company's revised proposal includes:
* General wage increases of 4 percent, 3.5 percent, and 3 percent in each
year of the three-year contract.
* A $2,500 cash bonus -- $1,000 upon ratification of the contract and
$1,500 in January 2007, when the new 80/20 health care plan is
implemented.
* An increase from $45 to $52 in the monthly multiplier for the pension
benefits and a cash-balance pension increase from 50 to 60 cents per
hour.
* An increase from $56 to $62 per week in employees' allowed 401(k)
contributions -- matched by the company at 50 percent.
* 38 paid holidays over the life of the agreement plus three floating
holidays.
* A voluntary severance program for up to 200 participants, providing
one-week's pay per year of service, a $15,000 lump sum pay out, and
one-year of company-paid medical & dental insurance.

IF you little bitches don't take that contract, I hope you ALL get axed.

Now we know UTC isn't greedy... It's only the Teamster's that are Greedy

Not bad you teamsters get an extra 500 clams. Mean while the Union is getting 58 X 3600 = 208800 by the end of the weeks

New proposal on the Post website:
http://www.connpost.com/ci_3598517

ITS THE SAME!!!!!!!! the only difference is the breakup of the pay increases it was 3.5, 3.5, 3.5 Now they want give us 4.0, 3.5, 3.0. And we get 500 bucks more as a sign on bonus. Which is now broken up in two payments - $1000 now and $1500 on 1/07 when the 80/20 insurance kicks in. Screw it I say vote yes and end it now!!!!!!!!!

VOTE YES

iam voting yes and hope to be back by Monday!

About time, lets get back to work Rocco call for a vote!

So, we go on strike for 3 weeks, losing thousands in pay, and we get basically the same deal +$500?
You guys BETTER vote no! If you vote yes to that after all this you are REALLY gonna look like a bunch of losers.

PS. My first day back today was great, but I don't see my name yet on the wall of fame.

Vote NO!!!! This is a bogus contract. Look at it closer. You're actually losing more. Bogus contract, not a genuine attempt to resolve the dispute. I had no doubt they'd throw out something like this in order to see just how strong the Teamsters will be. Vote NO!! and then the real negotiations will begin.

Not paying the salary folks, that are bailing their asses out, time-and-a-half is kinda weak. Come on UTC!!!

I agree. This contract is nothing different. I don't even think Rocco should waste his time getting us all together to vote this thing down.

Actually, it's a worse deal. 4.0%+3.5%+3.0% ends up being less then 3.5%+3.5%+3.5%. And now we gotta wait a year for the rest of the bonus. Wow, what a deal!

You knew they would do that. They're going to try to get us to feed off of fear to vote yes and then they make out even more. Crazy. I have no problem voting no at all. We're struggling to make ends meet, but better to do it now than over the next three years.

What do you think will happen after that if we accept 3.0%? Then they rake us with health care AND wages.

Not a problem here either. I don't think anyone in their right mind is going to vote yes to that. It'll be an even bigger group on the NO side now since those scabbers won't be a part of it. What a SIK joke.

Sorry for not being online all day, but I just got back from work. Also just thought you should know PAYDAY for me is on Wednesday, that includes all this overtime I have been getting. Again THANKS for going on STRIKE Going out to eat and buying my Cruise tickets all at once has been grand.

Let's get on with it already........BOTH SIDES.

I pay $1250 per month to cover my family for insurance. Thats per month, not per year.

This strike is doing one good thing.
It's making these Sikorsky workers with their clouded vision, (maybe) see what the rest of us deal with all the time.

Now get on the phone and start begging HR!!!

Hey 6:07, your a jerk! 3.5 + 3.5 + 3.5 = 10.5 Now 4.0 + 3.5 + 3.0 = 10.5 It's The Same Stupid. They front loaded the monies which will allow you to make more money over the life of the contract. Then by giving to the $1500 on 1/07 it helps you with offsetting the deductible. Me I will vote yes. Remember Pratt got worse on thier second offer, we are getting a bit better on our second offer. It's time to lick your wounds and vote yes. We all lost 4 weeks pay already, which would have paid for darn near 3 years of deductibles!!!!!!!! VOTE YES!!!!

What an AMAZING STRIKE. another offer, and yet we still Lose. Thanks 1150. Goz, I'll hold big AL and you tickle his man boobs....

Vote yes on the new contract. If you think it's so bad you have untill Jan. to find a new job. No one is forcing you to stay.

Begging HR, they better start begging their Supervisor. They have the VETO ability and will and have already VETO'd some Hourly folks trying to come back. Looks like you Slackers who have to use the UNION will be staying out longer than you think.

I am with you vote yes! This is getting old already.

Good point 6:28 - Vote yes and if you dont like it leave before Jan 2007! I am voting YES!!!!!!!!!

BEG? BEG? Salary may need to beg but Teamsters don't. This contract is NO different and NO better. The healthcare issue still exists and that's what the strike is about. No compromise whatsoever on that. VOTE NO!! Teamsters are NO fools, and we're not standing for this. Of course, it's no surprise that a bogus contract would come out first before the real business begins. Good grief, makes me SIK to my stomach.

Thats right Teamsters DONT beg, we JUMP off Bridges when we can't PAY OUR BILLS or FEED OUR Family

you just had hoffa here talking about how terrible this healthcare was and how you are not going to take it. now you are talking about taking the same plan with an extra five hundred dollars. I glad I crossed so I dont have to play the fool.

For God's sake, at least this time VOTE IN PEN! And have people you trust there when votes are counted.

YES lets VOTE IN PEN, AND POSSIBLY SOBER!

Vote yes. Then move on if you have to. We just need to get back in the door. I want to make those scabs see all of us real soon.

Ya know we should just keep our mouth's shut, and they call REDNECK DUMB. They are way up on the ladder compared to us.

They didnt tell you, the So called SCAB's are staying as long as they work, you on the other hand will not be

I think that all you strikers should be on the "Wall of Shame" and the men and women that are going to work everyday and crossing your ridiculous pickett lines are the ones that we should be proud of. They are the ones that have put their husbands, wives and children in front of you so called "brothers and sisters". Is my teamster family going to pay for the roof over my head, my childrens tuition bill of food on my table.....I do not think so. I think that it is a crime that they are asking people to live on 232.00. I would like to know if Rocco is living on the same 232.oo I highly doubt it.... If our teamster family is so important to us than why are they still asking for the union dues. We have paid union dues for many many years and never got any thing in return. Has anybody ever thought what it is costing you to stay out of work........ So far most of you have already gone into 401Ks with penalties of at least 20%, advances on credit cards of over 18% interest, loss of weekly wages which on the average is about 4500.00 to this point. I look at it this way, If you all can afford to do all of this to stay out of work than you definitly can afford the 31cents per hour. Has anybody really sat down and done the math. Come on guys what are you gaining.....You have to think about what is right for yourself and your family...... And to you Rocco fess up, this is not going to go anywhere and a company like Sikorsky can not fix a nationwide problem......So admit it get your guys back to work before they have no work to go back to.........

AMazing, I saw a Hourly Worker running around the picket line today. I don't know what you were trying to do, show you're getting back in shape to come back across the picket line or that you were trying to have a heart attack to get on the news.

Are there any provisions to get rid of slackers in the new offer? If SIkorsky can't fire the dead weight then this contract is a joke.

P.S. Please vote no. I like the bathrooms being kept clean.

how stupid can you be.
there was an arbitrator there walking behind the counters.
there is no excuse.
we voted. the vote was counted and we are on strike.
rocco didn't do this himself..... we did it.

If we havent been on STRIKE for 40 years, WHERE IS ALL THE STRIKE MONEY FROM THE LAST 40 years.

Can you say the word embezzlement

And boy, wasn't it worth it? Going on 4 weeks without pay, 4 weeks without insurance (unless you're lucky enough to have a spouse who can put you on their insurance). And for what? A second proposal which is essentially the same as the first (without the performance incentive). Oh, and take a guess why the bonus is split in 2...maybe a lot of you won't be around in January 2007! So how stupid can YOU be?

Are you kidding me those SCABS on that list,more then half of them don't even know how to work by the rules. People that have any time in there know how to. Tell them when we come back you can't go to the cafe at 8:00a.m. for coffee or come in hung over and go to sleep in the bathroom for half the morning. That's what you got crossing the line now. All these young punks that have had it made for the last couple of months, boy are things gonna change when they have to work buy the rules. And their overtime will be kept in check to make sure we are all equal, no more let him have it he needs it. SO lets just vote yes get back in and take care of this problem.And with any luck they will lay them off so we don't have to put up with the baby games anymore.

VOTE NO!!! This is just a ploy. All this is propaganda from SIK. Teamsters know that they would throw the same crappy contract down, just mince up the words a little, before they would netogiate in good faith. HOLD OUT FOR A GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATION, TEAMSTERS!!! WE WILL GET IT. STICK TOGETHER AND VOTE NO!!!!!

Hey Rocco, would you loan us money to pay our house payment?

I will wait right here for my answer

I am on Vacation please see my DOG for your answer. I believe he left it on the lawn.

I figured it out. By the time this contract expires I will make 70,468 a year on just a 40 hour paycheck. If the increased health care cost is around 3500 dollars a year - so be it. I can work overtime for two weeks to make up the difference. We have already lost more in wages than the healthcare increase 2 times over. Wake up. Vote Yes. Take this contract before it gets worse.

vote yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Nice try, salary monkeys, but TEAMSTERS won't do it. Does Rocco even have to waste his time bringing this to a vote? It's junk.

Anybody that is in favor of this offer, I urge them to email Rocco and the boys and tell them to present it to us. THEN VOTE YES and GET BACK TO WORK

yes, yes, yes

So you've been out a month. Sikorsky has evaluated the impact of the strike and presented another offer. The fact that it is essentially the same should speak VOLUMES. There is no panic. More folks are coming on board and prodcution is only getting better with each passing day. I'm guessing if you say no to this one the next offer will be worse.

Tell the moron who's playing with rat pictures on your webiste to do something that might actually help your cause.

You folks need to stop worrying about Mgmt psych games and be VERY concerned about union ineptitude

and what does that make the membership? they still caved in. better resign from the union. your not getting what the strike was all about... by keeping the medical the same as it was. RESIGN and lets fight for a new regime or totally different rules.

That's right its Junk, we only offer our best contracts to people who work.........LOSER!

I'm voting YES, I'm ready to go back to work. You have to know when to "fold em".

Don't waste your time waiting for Rocco, he wont even answer an email.

If you think this new contract is so bad, quit. Hand in your badge and quit. Try to find something better.No one is forcing you to stay. Vote yes

ya know you can all come up with your name calling,bashing and bad jokes .but when push comes to shove the ones who are really going to hurt are families.All of your wives ,husbands and kids.

My UNION brothers and Sisters will help me and my Family

Why do you strikers think the company is paying someone to post anti union crap on this blog?? I'll bet you also think it was the company that kidnapped over 1/2 of local 1150 on the day of the big "rally" preventing them from attending! The only connection I have to Sikorsky is a few friends and relatives that work there. And they are suffering dearly for the stupidity of Teamsters like you. People that are so stupid that they don't realize they are stupid are pathetic and deserve some sympathy, but not in this case. You hardcases that preach "Teamster power" and "Stay strong Teamsters" sicken me. Your executive board will burn in hell for what they are doing to the hardworking hourly employees - especially the ones that voted to accept the contract.

Some of you speak of your "skills" that cannot be replaced and only you are capable of doing certain jobs. Need I remind you of World War 2 where you had workers who were making toasters and bicycles one week and the next week they were making rifles, ammunition, or aircraft! Even my grandmother ferried DC -3's across the country so don't blow smoke up your own arse and think your irreplaceable. From what I gather from this blog, it's being done right now.

I also have to laugh at the Millers. (http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=4093&p=0)Why would anybody want a story like that printed is beyond me. Do they live in a double wide? I always wondered where Jerry Springer finds his guests. And you expect sympathy from the public??? Give me a break! Of the negative postings here I would guess 25% are from salary folks, another 25% from Teamsters against the strike, and 50% from the general public who see what you fools are throwing away.

I don't care if I get an answer, I just want him to get my point before Wed. It would be very foolish, no stupid to vote this down. They are Giving the money to help pay for the ins.

My union and brothers haven't helped me. I will have to say goodbye to them because I can't afford to fight a battle we are not going to win.

You actually thought we were going to WIN, thats wasnt in the first contract

The only way to get a new regime is to vote to disolve this union. we can do that when we get back to work. 30% needed to start the process. or just wait till the next election. Thats why, If you favor this proposal you need to step up and say so.Rocco knows hes out of a job now

I have only one thing to say on the new offer. THINK long and hard before making your decision.

It appears that was not done with the first vote, and know you are making up your minds in 15 minutes? Sit down, and think about the good versus the bad. Then make a rationale decision.

If you don't agree, vote no. If you do agree, vote yes. But at least take more than a half hour on what must be a very important decision for each of you to make.

Don't oust Rocco, he wants to be the next Jimmy Hoffa Sr.

Buried somwhere, where only the worms know where you are.

Have the union give us the proposal on Wed at the meeting and vote on Sun. That gives us a few days to do the numbers,if this is the true package.

To strikers:

Do you want a sceond stream of income now and when your return to work - p/t making $36,000- $55,000. Make what you want, no limits. Are you entrepenaur minded?

Do you know a hair dresser, daycare provider or a non-profit group such as boyscouts, etc.
Do you have a positive attitude?
What areas interest you? Environemntal issues?
Wellness and health? Looking younger? Immune System? Airsource purification?

We plan to hold information sessions - bring your significant other to discuss opportunity with afterwards. This is an information session for you to evaluate and make an educated decision. Or maybe you know someone interested?

March 20 - 21 2pm-3:30pm reality cafe
March 27 -28th 2pm -3:30pm reality cafe

Will only meet with approx. 8 people at a time.
Sign on asap.

respond flashrothenberg@aol.com

Its a dream, this package is the companies way of saying settle for less because we own you,.......Lemminings

Bad advice and still waiting. Going to the Union meeting on Wed. with resignation letter in pocket. If no light at the end of the tunnel, I will be handing it in and going back to work. I voted to take the package and cant take this any more. Its all too consuming.

Two possible scenarios will play out now that there is a new offer from the company.

1)Teamsters vote yes to new offer.

2)Teamsters vote no and reject new offer, in which case all workers that voted yes to accept the offer (1500 or so) will cross the line en masse. The strike then will be effectively broken.

Either way you look at it, The union has lost.

Agreed and happy

What is the new offer? If no offer they will cross too.

If this contract gets voted in and we are back to work on Monday, I still want the $232 for this week.Or is the union going to screw us out of that?

Carnac, what is the offer?

The company's revised proposal includes:

* General wage increases of 4 percent, 3.5 percent, and 3 percent in each year of the three-year contract.

* A $2,500 cash bonus -- $1,000 upon ratification of the contract and $1,500 in January 2007, when the new 80/20 health care plan is implemented.

* An increase from $45 to $52 in the monthly multiplier for the pension benefits and a cash-balance pension increase from 50 to 60 cents per hour.

* An increase from $56 to $62 per week in employees' allowed 401(k) contributions -- matched by the company at 50 percent.

* 38 paid holidays over the life of the agreement plus three floating holidays.

* A voluntary severance program for up to 200 participants, providing one-week's pay per year of service, a $15,000 lump sum pay out, and one-year of company-paid medical & dental insurance.

"Do you want a sceond stream of income now and when your return to work - p/t making $36,000- $55,000. Make what you want, no limits. Are you entrepenaur minded?"

Aw shit, now we got a multilevel marketing scheme advertising here too? This thing has drawn quite a circus!

Why does Rocco only walk the lines when BIG names are present. I didnt see him when its raining or below freezing.

Where did you hear this??

its on the front of the paper connpost.com

just vote yes then quit if you dont like it. my family need to be taken care of. think on your own. dont follow the sheep herder any more. your families need this! vote YES!!!!!!!

Yes its a circus, Rocco is the Ring annoncer and we are in the three rings. Walking in cicles like Lemminings

It's also on www.sikorsky.com! Vote Yes!

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060313/nem044.html?.v=30

This BETTER be presented Wed at the meeting, and that Rollo better endorse it 'cause thats the best its going to get

present it Wed vote Sun go back to work Mon

Vote NO! They are gonna lay most of us OFF before we get to next year.

Smart, lets hold out for a "No Lay off" clause You JERK Vote Yes and get back to work while you still have a job

Christmas came early for you boys and girls. If you can't see that you have fallen out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down, climb another bigger tree. You will have all the time you need to do that!

I work In Majors, my job is almost gone now.

you got nota..4 weeks out $3500 same deal. you sould of cross the line day 1, stay out I like the OT

Just think you teamsters

you lose 4 weeks pay and get the same offer you
voted no on !!! Thats the best you can do ?

maybe a TShirt like

"I was on strike for 4 weeks and got nothing !!!"

oh boy, Rocco better eat crow !!

don't for get to pay your dues

Now that this contract was presented to the union reps. I hope you people realize that yes it is essentially the same contract with some improvements to the pension plan.
Just realize one thing. If you vote no to this you will lose in earnings far more than you will ever be able to recover.
Spend as much time with your families now, because when this is all over, you will be working none stop to get the product out to our service men and women.
Just suck up what you already lost and lets vote YES to this contract. Enough is Enough

New addition to contract presented by Sikorsky.
A tee shirt that says "I stayed out on strike for 4 weeks and all I got was this Stupid T-Shirt"

You should have accepted the First offer!! Oh wait, This IS the first offer

All monkey comments on this site. Give it up, monkeys. You know the TEAMSTERS will vote NO. Rocco bashing doesn't work. The TEAMSTERS are one unit. Bash Rocco, bash us all. All for one and one for all. You don't even have 2% of the work force scabbing. Not doing a real good job with your scare tactics and bully tactics. Pump out as much MONKEY business as you can on here. We're all talking with each other and the rumor is NO.

The revised wage increases are slightly better than the original. Under the new deal a person making $25/hr will make $27.88 year 3. Original deal will make $27.72 year 3.

or maybe the TShirt can say :

"This TShirt cost me 4 weeks pay"

With the teamster logo on the back !!

Then you are the Monkey because if you vote no on this the Teamsters will be short 1000 members on Monday morning

Hey, let's vote no and see who gets fired next.

we've come to far guys. hang in there 2 more weeks. Please.

I thought the company was kicking all the teamsters out?

yes I agree anon 8:09 ,
To all of the monkeys,
Go eat a banana !!

vote yes!

vote YEs in pencel

You've got my vote. I'll hang in as long as it takes. Quite confident that all will be well in smallville if we all stay together. I'm proud of our union and our union members. Let's hang together. If you start feeling anxious, scared, nervous, whatever, come on out to the picket lines. Real pick-me-up. We have come too far to quit, so I'll be hanging as long as it takes. And, might I add, we're a family of five here. We'll do what it takes for our future. You'd have to knock me unconscious to get me across that line.

You hang, I'm voting YES and going to work no matter what the outcome of the vote is. Enough is enough

I don't wanta go back

hang? hang from a rope, you paying my mortage? If you pay it then I will vote no. Until someone comes up with my house payment I am voting YES!

i can't believe they are even offering you morons another package, and it's better than the original one. well, except the 80/20 health insurance plan that they are craming down your throats but you are the union the mighty mighty union. hold out vote no they will cave. remember you owe it to future generations, to fight for free health care. please reject the new package and finally sikorsky may be able to get rid of you blood sucking lazy want everything for nothing union workers.

I hear there Drug testing when you go back?

VOTE YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As long as they drug test the SCABS and everyone else.

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - Sikorsky, the helicopter manufacturing unit of United Technologies Corp. (UTX.N: Quote, Profile, Research), said on Monday it made an improved wage offer to workers, hoping to end a three-week strike by Teamster Union members.

The proposal, presented to a federal mediator, includes general wage increases of 4 percent, 3.5 percent, and 3 percent in each year of the three-year contract and a $2,500 cash bonus.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

vote "no". we desreve much more! we want better! we are entitled to it!!! SIK OWES US!!!! we will not settle for less!!!

"We've come too far, guys. Hang in there 2 more weeks. Please."

- last words of the mayor of Hiroshima

been naughty during the strike have we?

the scabs get it to?

What was the unions offer? Anyone know?

Yeah, you guys "desreve" a lot more.

Vote NO I like the free lunch

UTC stock is up again....that strike must be working!!!!

now you have to face all the salary people you called names!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No haven't been naughty. But I know some people inside that have been on a regular basis. And those names will be brought to the forefront. And will be calling compliance about other things once we get back. See you soon.

now you have to face all the salary people you called names!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we don't forget

"The revised wage increases are slightly better than the original. Under the new deal a person making $25/hr will make $27.88 year 3. Original deal will make $27.72 year 3. "
Uhm, no.
Original deal:
$25.00 + 3.5% =
$25.875 + 3.5% =
$26.780 + 3.5% =
$27.718

new deal:
$25.00 + 4% =
$26.00 + 3.5% =
$26.91 + 3% =
$27.717

Or, if you are now making $52,000:
old deal after 3yrs = $57,653.33
new deal after 3yrs = $57,651.98

Don't even think that if you vote yes that the rest of will be happy to see you back. After all the names we have been called and all the disgusting gestures we have endured you better know that when you walk through the door you will be the lowest form of life on earth. Even lower than those scabs you talk about. Yes it is essentially the same package but they shuffled the numbers around a little so you can say you won but those can count will see that you did not. Wonder what happens to those of you whose jobs arene't there anymore. Hmmmm.

check your math 8:11, it's the same dealwith a little extra on the bonus. Out 4 weeks for $500! That's a slap in the face; A well deserved slap.

From what I understand, Rocco had 5% across the board and offered a different more affordable health plan. Don't know if that's valid or not quite yet. Have talked to approximately 75 members so far... not one is voting yes and really hopes that the contract isn't even put up for a vote.

Remember 8:29 you'll be gone a lot sooner then we will. You are just educated overhead on indirect labor, and when the SAP system kicks in they will find they don't need 6,000 pencil pushers to make the stock holders happy. You'll be MOVING TO MONTANA SOON. BYE.

now you have to face all the salary people you called names!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We miss you like the bird flu. Vote "no"!

I really deep down would like all the members of Teamsters 1150 Union to vote a big NO on Wed. I've started to look forward to coming to work and leaving at the end of the day----People shuffling around in circles carrying signs shouting obscenties----Police cars with flashing lights-----The amusment of bull horns chanting the union creed loser/asshole. Inside the plant it has become quite common to greet other people with "Well it's another asshole week". You have certainly provdied a great base for a never ending laughing joke of your stupidty. So please stand firm members of 1150 Vote NO!!!

Any offer should be put to vote.Stop the B.S.

hold you head up hi, your a real man
now you have to face all the salary people you called names

Who really cares about the salary people?

Every time someone called me a name, I relieved myself in a tool box. Welcome back!

they save your JOBS jerk

Vote NO.

UNITY.

no no no no no

pretty funny when (if) you all come back to find all the lockers, toolboxes, and desks were opened up by management. i think u all forgot you were playing in SIK's sandbox, not your own.

we got them where we want them vote NO

VOTE YES PLEASE!!!!!!I NEED MONEY!!!!

I'll file charges

sell something

file charges for what? opening company equipment on company property with unauthorized locks on them?

I really deep down would like all the members of Teamsters 1150 Union to vote a big NO on Wed. I've started to look forward to coming to work and leaving at the end of the day----People shuffling around in circles carrying signs shouting obscenties----Police cars with flashing lights-----The amusment of bull horns chanting the union creed loser/asshole. Inside the plant it has become quite common to greet other people with "Well it's another asshole week". You have certainly provdied a great base for a never ending laughing joke of your stupidty. So please stand firm members of 1150 Vote NO!!!

Got nothing to hide in mine. Maybe they should check your hard-drive to see where you have been. That's where all the stuff is hidden where you surf all day.

to all you teamsters

"YOUR FIRED !!!"

Vote NO 2 more weeks guys.

Thank You SIKORSKY for my job

vote NO.

STAY STRONG, STAY UNITED!!!!!! TOGETHER WE WILL ALL BE OUT OF A JOB!

Don't give up the ship guys two more weeks

I walked the line and never called anyone a name. I did say, "stay home!"
Good for you J. Gozzi for having an opinion and opening yourself up for the crazy insults hurled at you.

WE don't forget

to all you teamsters"""""

"YOUR FIRED !!!""""""""

-----Is this a fact?

and what happens in 2 more weeks? By then 10% will have made you stupid wall
VOTE YES

I wonder if sikorsky is cutting the amount of paid bloggers in hopes of a ratification?

Vote for THE WIZARD OF GOZ for president

Vote NO!
There holding out. Go for the big bucks guys.
Who with me? Let it rain, Let it snow, Im a teamster I will not go. Im holding out until we get nap time and hookers for late PM entertainment.
Keep your stinking increases. I want free healthcare. Were changing the whole attitude in this country with out stance. What do we want?
Healthcare! What? Healthcare!

What a joke!!! Shifted some numbers, came out $500 more with the same 80/20. Is that what they think we are worth after standing outside for 4 weeks? Do they think we are stupid? Vote NO. STAY UNITED. Show them that we can see that this is the same old offer.

I with you brother , screw the establishment, we need to turn the screws to the man!

I really deep down would like all the members of Teamsters 1150 Union to vote a big NO on Wed. I've started to look forward to coming to work and leaving at the end of the day----People shuffling around in circles carrying signs shouting obscenties----Police cars with flashing lights-----The amusment of bull horns chanting the union creed loser/asshole. Inside the plant it has become quite common to greet other people with "Well it's another asshole week". You have certainly provdied a great base for a never ending laughing joke of your stupidty. So please stand firm members of 1150 Vote NO!!!

Yeah, you guys are right, if they are going to start offering up new packages we have to hold out!

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - Sikorsky Aircraft, the helicopter manufacturing unit of United Technologies Corp. (UTX.N: Quote, Profile, Research), said on Monday it made an improved wage offer to workers, hoping to end a three-week strike by Teamster Union members.

The proposal, presented to a federal mediator, includes general wage increases of 4 percent, 3.5 percent, and 3 percent in each year of the three-year contract and a $2,500 cash bonus.

The strike by 3,600 Sikorsky workers, in four Connecticut locations as well as West Palm Beach, Florida, began February 20.

The union rejected an earlier three-year labor contract proposal that would have raised health care premiums. The union said the plan would triple members' health plan contributions, while reducing coverage.

Sikorsky's proposal also raises pension benefits and allows higher contributions to workers' retirement plans, with a 50-percent match by the company.

Stratford, Connecticut-based Sikorsky, which makes the Black Hawk helicopter used by the U.S. military, also offered a voluntary severance program for up to 200 workers.

Shares of United Technologies, part of the Dow Jones industrial average, gained 18 cents Monday to $58 on the New York Stock Exchange.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Next Article: UPDATE 1-Alliant Techsystems lowers FY 2006 earnings views

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OMG, I can't take it any more:

you're = contraction of "you are"
your = second person possessive adjective
yore = noun meaning time long past

they're = contraction of "they are"
their = third person plural possessive adjective
there = adverb meaning that place

It is not "should of." It is "should have."

It is not "we our getting hosed." It is "we are getting hosed..."

Leave the Teamster Cult...get an education...Sikorsky will pay for a degree...it's not too late.

P.S. See that last sentence? It's "too" not "to."

Don't even think that if you vote yes that the rest of will be happy to see you back. After all the names we have been called and all the disgusting gestures we have endured you better know that when you walk through the door you will be the lowest form of life on earth. Even lower than those scabs you talk about. Yes it is essentially the same package but they shuffled the numbers around a little so you can say you won but those can count will see that you did not. Wonder what happens to those of you whose jobs arene't there anymore. Hmmmm.

I really deep down would like all the members of Teamsters 1150 Union to vote a big NO on Wed. I've started to look forward to coming to work and leaving at the end of the day----People shuffling around in circles carrying signs shouting obscenties----Police cars with flashing lights-----The amusment of bull horns chanting the union creed loser/asshole. Inside the plant it has become quite common to greet other people with "Well it's another asshole week". You have certainly provdied a great base for a never ending laughing joke of your stupidty. So please stand firm members of 1150 Vote NO!!!

If I wrote this I would feel so good for getting back at the teamsters for making me upset and hurt inside.

Listen to the little pussy, working our shift , hiding behind his little degree. C'mon punk do you think I give a creap you finally are doing some real work. Sitting on your ass all day playing video games getting on your nerves. Well when we come back were gonna take back our jobs and kick you pansy asses back upstairs where you belong. Isnt there a NCAA bracket you need to be studying up on.

Oh, and BTW, the chairs, extra computers, microwaves, toasters, etc. are gone too.

How much you make a**face. You need to go get education. Or did you miss your calling as a teacher?

Im PROUD to be an AMERICAN!

Whst is an A**FACE

You can take my toaster and my shit and shove it right up your ass.

I think the only pansy asses that will be kicked are yours ~ right out the door shortly after you get back!

yes, please vote no!

all the sensible teamsters will cross anyway after the union sinks to an all time low and rejects Sikorsky's lifeboat. This was Sikorsky being nice, not burying you like they could have. They are trying to safe your union face... if you guys vote no... It should be one interesting year at work. I'm not worried though, I know all the good worker's will be back, and some bad ones who are smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

Just WHAT do you expect to gain if you vote no?

How many peoples mommy and daddys have piad for their education?

Um no, it was much more convenient to toss it in the nearest dumpster. LOL

Then they will be gone upstairs also so we can all live by the rules. Got to call COMPLIENCE when we get back. They will love to hear some of the things that should be out in open.

what is a dumpster. I am a teamster I reeally don't know

Yep, I read the new proposed contract, its a POS.
I know all you unions members are way too smart to see that the company think you're all a bunch of jackasses.
Now that you have Sikorsky by the balls, I think if you give it to June or July you'll probably get a $3000 bonus, don't you think?

Let's see, every 4 weeks, you'll get another $500 added to the bonus, so if you stay out......................................

And that makes you a man. Lets see your punk ass play 6S on my stuff with me standing there.

If the union suggest that we reject this offer ..the wall of shame will become a wall of the famed individuals who were smart enough to see the writing on the wall..VOTE YES to except,believe me we will not get a third chance. ITS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES FUTURE, DON'T LET THEM DOWN, THEY'RE COUNTING ON YOU TO PROVIDE FOR THEM, NOT THE UNION ...REMEMBER WE'RE ALREADY SHORT 58 YES VOTES.....

What an opportunity Wednesday! Very few people get such a chance-to rectify a prior error. And it only cost about $5,000 each (4 weeks pay) to learn the lesson.

That is ASSFACE.

they still paying you guys to post here?

anon 9:14
GO AWAY !!!!!!!!

Don't listen to this crap brothers and sisters. We can see it is the same contract. They added $500. We can get them to add more. They have the money. Stay strong. It won't be long. We have them where we want them.

ITS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES FUTURE, DON'T LET THEM DOWN, THEY'RE COUNTING ON YOU TO PROVIDE FOR THEM, NOT THE UNION ...REMEMBER WE'RE ALREADY SHORT 58 YES VOTES.....

Blah Blah Blah Blah
Blah
Why dont you vote yes and shut the hell up already with your bleeding heart journalism.

No, actually it would take a lot more than that to make me a man, considering I'm female. Get a grip dude.

No, my mommy and daddy didn't give me 1 cent towards my education... in fact, neither did my wife's parents for her. We have almost 100k in student loans to pay back... and that makes purchasing a house in this state nearly impossible.

So whoever said we'd (salary) be shipped to Montana... bring it on. I'd much rather work in Montana, or NC, or Virginia, it would be heaven for Sikorsky to ship all or nearly all jobs out of state. So please, do whatever you can to hurt this company and accelerate movement out of this hell whole called Connecticut, I'd love that!

Did your mommy and daddy get you a job at Sikorsky?

Of course we get paid to post.
All you need is your supervisor to get the paperwork approved,
then you have to do 5 posts for free, then get paid for each one after that up to 15 per day.

Easy money, just like doing those monkey jobs on the floor.

I heard one of the new hourly benefits in a banana truck to feed the animals once they return......

AWWWE SNAP FEMALE STRIKES BACK

I think its time for
Anonymous on March 13, 2006 09:17 PM
to change his diaper. Getting a little mad
that big ol CT isnt giving you the warm and fuzzies. Nice speech

Monkey job?

whats snap female?

It was a touching speech. But no one told him to take out 100,000 for a loan for college.

Look I can't take it anymore! I have very good friends in salary! also some great salary co-workers who have been working very hard to save our jobs! also i have alot of hard working hourly friends and co-workers who have been effected by this strike. and they did vote yes the first time for the contract. What has been done has been done i just need to get back to work to provide for my family. I want to thank everyone hourly and salary who acted in a grownup manner during this strike. I know there will be hard feeling when we go back to work,but hopefully we can remember teamwork and bring sikorsky aircraft back even better then it was. please everyone stop fighting. Vote yes!

yes, u have them right where you want them....on the outsourcing bus!! don't forget to get a ticket to SIK South!

No I did't get mine from mommy and daddy. Got mine 30yrs ago while you were diapers. You'll be Moving to Montana soon. See ya enjoy the cold weather.

Look I can't take it anymore! I have very good friends in salary! also some great salary co-workers who have been working very hard to save our jobs! also i have alot of hard working hourly friends and co-workers who have been effected by this strike. and they did vote yes the first time for the contract. What has been done has been done i just need to get back to work to provide for my family. I want to thank everyone hourly and salary who acted in a grownup manner during this strike. I know there will be hard feeling when we go back to work,but hopefully we can remember teamwork and bring sikorsky aircraft back even better then it was. please everyone stop fighting. Vote yes!

I COULDNT AGREE MORE!!!!

And they call us stupid. What part of "we do not accept 80/20" don't they understand. We can't be bought for 500 bucks.

The company has basically offered you the same contract again,
and you guys are trampling over each other to vote yes?

Either you guys are the sorriest bunch I have ever seen, or Rocco gave every crack at the first vote??

Yeah go teamster's the freakin' stupid ass teamsters!

Vote yes and invest your money wisely. The bonus plus the vac. check plus your tax return. Just don't go and blow it at THE INDIANS. Think!!!!!!!!!!

The company has basically offered you the same contract again,
and you guys are trampling over each other to vote yes?

Either you guys are the sorriest bunch I have ever seen, or Rocco gave every crack at the first vote??

Yeah go teamster's the freakin' stupid ass teamsters!

Teamsters are stupid? Is this a fact or was this just you not realizing the company is offering more than what they started with.

Just vote no. It's obvious the union wants a better offer and they think they can get it. Or... for the conspiracy minded, SIK offered this up knowing the majority of the union members will vote no because they think they deserve a better package. This would make it look like SIK is trying to play nice with the union. Meanwhile, the offer is voted down and now SIK has finally proved the strike is economic and the floodgates open to send everything out and bring in replacment workers who will become permanent. Mass line crossing will follow and the union will be no more. I say vote no and see what happens. It's your call, but the window of opportunity for the union to return will probably be shut after this offer. Vote No!

I know even if it is $500 more it is more.

Stop repeating youself. It makes you look stupid.

So the paid people are still on here. Why dont you guys do what salary does get drunk and dont come in or come in late.

The company can offer you a little more money after all the have saved in the last month.

Glad you think its a great offer,

Don't forget to subtract the 4 paychecks gone!

Who's the jackass now?

Did your masters computer class teach you that...

Don't worry you'll be paying my comp when we get back. Then my permanent disabilty after that. keep working you jackass.

The company can offer you a little more money after all the have saved in the last month.

Glad you think its a great offer,

Don't forget to subtract the 4 paychecks gone!

Who's the jackass now?

LOL whos the jackass now. How do you people havent been making money and collecting union checks. AHHHHHHHH whos the jackass now? They must not have taught that in mastsers.

you got nota..4 weeks out $3500 same deal. you sould of cross the line day 1, the scabs were the smart ones

Can the union invite WTNH to cover the Wednesday meeting? I'd love to see it televised. It's sounds like there might be some fireworks.

Vote yes or no, I'll go back the next day. Don't quite understand why the hard liners don't quit and get a better job somewhere else. Would you like fries with that.

So if we didnt work at sikorsky the only job is fast food?

Common paid bloggers you must have something factual.

A teamster goes out for dinner to a restaurant.
The only thing they have on the menu is lobster.

The teamster ask how much?

The waiter replies about $56,

Teamster gets up and yells, I'm outta' here, your too expenive.....

4 weeks go by and the teamster is getting pretty hungry,
he decides to go back to the restaurant for dinner.

The waiter say's, "Hey, we have a new menu, take a look!"

He hands it to the teamster who opens it to see that now on the menu is a Grilled cheese sandwich.

The teamster asks the waiter, "How much for the grilled cheese sandwich?"

Waiter replies, "Same as the Lobster."

To which the teamster says, "OK, I'll take it!"

LMAO!!!

4 weeks pay and you guys take a pig dressed in earings!!

Shit, another couple weeks, you guys would give up your vacation pay to come back!

What strike are the paid bloggers working next.

A teamster goes out for dinner to a restaurant.
The only thing they have on the menu is lobster.

The teamster ask how much?

The waiter replies about $56,

Teamster gets up and yells, I'm outta' here, your too expenive.....

4 weeks go by and the teamster is getting pretty hungry,
he decides to go back to the restaurant for dinner.

The waiter say's, "Hey, we have a new menu, take a look!"

He hands it to the teamster who opens it to see that now on the menu is a Grilled cheese sandwich.

The teamster asks the waiter, "How much for the grilled cheese sandwich?"

Waiter replies, "Same as the Lobster."

To which the teamster says, "OK, I'll take it!"

LOL this is great what teamster was it?

Damn, that was some funny shit right there!

Do you paid bloggers have a book you take things from. You got all types of stuff. Poems, resturant scenes, what else theres gotta be more!

common paid bloggers, nothing else

ok ill hit refresh once more and if theres nothing from a paid blogger Im out

The grilled cheese sandwich is it for tonight, that was post #15.
If i write anymore, I won't get paid for them.....

peace hope your next job harassing people goes well.

Forget this, DOA

They can wipe their ass with with this offer! I'll be on the line at 6 to tell you the same thing I told H/R when I called them!

just told the wife the good news . we don't have to sell the trailer house.

Undoubtably, this offer has one alternative: outsourcing permanently. Think before you act! Or suffer the consequences!

I didn't walk the line for 4 weeks for the same s###. you better vote NO

they 948 How much you want for the trailer house?

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You're right, 9:52 ..you'll be walking forever.
Wake up and smell the flowers. SAC has offered union members the chance to admit THEIR error. SAC is probably hoping they don't, and that makes outsourcing politically easy.and Lieberman, Dodd, etc.won't be able to back up 3,600 people who voted down a good offer

TWICE.

Any other state increases Sikorsky's profits. With that in mind, why would they want a contract ratified!

Hey all you Mighty Proud to be a Teamster guys,

Bet you don't have the balls to vote "NO" twice, do ya'??

Go ahead, I dare you, double dare you even!

You guys BETTER vote no! If you vote yes to that after all this you are REALLY gonna look like a bunch of losers.

PS. My first day back today was great, but I don't see my name yet on the wall of fame.

A salary guy gets on a plane and finds himself seated next to an hourly guy. To occupy his time on the trip, he figures he'll stroke his own ego for a bit, turns to the hourly guy:
"You know," he says, "I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger. So let's talk."
The hourly guy, who had just opened his book, closes it and says to the salary guy, "What would you like to discuss?"
"Oh, I don't know," says the salary guy, smiling. "How about health care?"
"OK," says the hourly guy. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first: A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff -- grass. Yet, the deer excretes little pellets, the cow turns out flat patty, and the horse produces muffins of dried poop. Why do you suppose that is?"
The salary guy is dumbfounded. Finally, he replies, "I haven't the slightest idea."
"So tell me," says the hourly guy, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss health care when you don't know shit?"

This fight should have been fought on the first company of UTC not the last! Rocco sent you all into slaughter. The company is giving you a way out of this mess. Vote YES!!!!!!! or pay my house payment and feed my family and pay my family doctor bills. YES

Here monkey, monkey, monkey... got a banana for you. You're slowing down, monkey, monkey, monkey. Get to blogging!

The answer is 12. Vote YES

Monkeys can't type fast enough. Now monkeys are cutting a pasting their previous comments. It's not working, monkeys! Gonna run out of bananas before this UNION breaks. Not even 2% of the work force is biting your bananas. Go home and spend time with your wives before they file for divorce...

Pick on Rocco, you pick on all of us! All for one and one for all.

A salary guy gets on a plane and finds himself seated next to an hourly guy. To occupy his time on the trip, he figures he'll stroke his own ego for a bit, turns to the hourly guy:
"You know," he says, "I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger. So let's talk."
The hourly guy, who had just opened his book, closes it and says to the salary guy, "What would you like to discuss?"
"Oh, I don't know," says the salary guy, smiling. "How about health care?"
"OK," says the hourly guy. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first: A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff -- grass. Yet, the deer excretes little pellets, the cow turns out flat patty, and the horse produces muffins of dried poop. Why do you suppose that is?"
The salary guy is dumbfounded. Finally, he replies, "I haven't the slightest idea."
"So tell me," says the hourly guy, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss health care when you don't know shit?"

First off, do we know if this is going to be presented to the membership on Wed?

Sure hope not. It's not worth my time.

now you have to face all the salary people you called names

At least we'll have a face. You'll still just be somebody's butt-wiping b-i-a-t-c-h

I am voteing A BIG YES just as I did the first time, Before it cost me 5 grand-- Rocco and his cronies can go pound sand !!! Just think, cost us 5 grand so far to save 3200 on medical over 3 years Smarten up Bros & sisters !!!

Money, schmoney...life is bigger than that. Won't do you no good having money if you can't get to a doctor to stay well enough to enjoy it.

All of the country has to face the health care issue. We would all love free healt care, but thats not going to happen. Your offer was more then fair. It did go down some this time. Do you want to be out of work for 4 more weeks or more if you vote NO??? Do you believe your next offer will be a better one? I would vote with my heart. What I have seen so far the union has done you NO FAVORS. I do not work for the company. I want to wish you all the best, and good luck always.

Please everyone vote yes.....please please please.
You know what, take your yes vote and stick it, I aint going to Montana and if i do im shooting the f'ing pigmy pony in the head. damn dental floss. Im a teamster and if you want to break my ass , bring it on girls!

Yes, I do want to be out of work 4 more weeks. I do believe the next offer will be a better one. And I'm just 100% positive that the company has done a whole heck of a lot of favors for you, huh? Of course you don't work for the company, you're just some nosey jerk, right?

if you teamsters vote no, you losers can just walk in circles for three more weeks and get the
same offer in early April

and the whole time more and more of your jobs will be outsourced.

face it, you have lost

Hi to all the people paid to blog on here. When's the shift over?

I wonder if they teach you how to pretend your a teamster, in blog training...

We are the TEAMSTERS !!!

The MIGHTY MIGHTY UNEMPLOYED TEAMSTERS

ouch the mighty unemployed teamsters...hold on ill be right back I have to go cry now

I dont know when their shift is over, but I agree with Anonymous on March 13, 2006 10:19 PM
Rock on

No hun... I am not a JERK.. why are you calling me names now... I just stated what is fact. I was not RUDE to you... But I do have friends that work there, and yes they do have people from all over the country doing your job... I have a job, and pay my share of health care... so name calling is not cutting it with me... grow up.... as alway wish you well

I believe the rally cry was "6 days, 6 weeks, 6 months" whatever.and you were right.except it was only 4 weeks.and whatever meant the offer was basically identical to the one declined.

Was the 4 weeks worth it?

Hun? Yep, a jerk

Is the strike over?

Im a professional paid blogger. But I really didnt need a 100,000 dollar loan to harass people.

Where are all the paid poem blogs....what is it not that persons shift yet?

To all the paid bolggers:

The teamsters have now moved to a different website , hurry before its too late its called

www.iamsikorskysbiatch.com

whats the difference between a faggot and a refrigerator?

A refrigerator dont fart when you take your meat out..

YEEEHAAAAAWWWWW

Smelling that Teamster strength coming through. Think the monkeys be losing their trees...

LOL I wonder where the next contract will be for the bloggers. Maybe ill be a pro blogger how many years of school was that, and what are the bonuses? Hows the healthcare for being a professional harasser?

WHO THE F@@K IS THIS PERSON ANONYMOUS?!!!BRAVE PERSON.HA HA HA !!!!!!

Check the sikorsky payroll but im not sure if the bloggers get paid straight from sikorsky.

I hope after the strike is over (this weekend) the Post keeps this entertaining forum open for a couple of weeks to prove to the world that Sikorsky did not hire "paid bloggers" . You rockhead teamsters can't get it through your heads that the majority (99.9%) of the people on this site are regular folks from the area who hold you in the lowest esteem. Prima donnas who would be washing the floor at Stop & Shop on the 3rd shift if it wasn't for Sikorsky.
Carnac the magnificent said it best:

Two possible scenarios will play out now that there is a new offer from the company.

1)Teamsters vote yes to new offer.

2)Teamsters vote no and reject new offer, in which case all workers that voted yes to accept the offer (1500 or so) will cross the line en masse. The strike then will be effectively broken.

Either way you look at it, The union has lost.

Teamsters are scum ES&D!!

a man goes to see his optometrist for an eye exam. after the examination the optometrist tells the patient he needs to stop masturbating. the patient asks "why am i going blind?" "no" says the optometrist "your upsetting the other patients!"

With all the talk about corporate greed it makes me wonder how many of those still on strike have yet to divest themselves of the UTC stock in their 401K holdings.

Teamsters are scum ES&D!!

Dont you mean EH&S? Ohh wait i doubt they taught paid bloggers anything about that nevermind.

Would have been a little better if it went like this:

A salaried man goes to see his optomestrist for an eye exam, because he has health insurance. After the examination, the optometrist tell the salaried man, "You need to stop masturbating." The salaried man asks, "Why? Am I going blind?" "No," says the optomestrist, "you're upsetting the other salaried men."

Where did all you paid bloggers go, I miss the poems.

Fuck this guys!!!! the bills are getting higher. There isno more money coming in. No one helps me out. Screw it...I am voting yes on this one. At least we all didn't cross

Eat Sh#t & Die retard

"Eat Sh#t & Die retard"

Someone needs a 5 minute bathroom break...do they give you bloggers bathroom breaks.

While I do enjoy the overtime pay I get for doing your job, I'd like to see you come back. The offer is more than fair. Listen to common sense...not pride, and stop being greedy. Everyone else in the country has the same, if not worse health insurance platform.

"honey" said a husband to his wife "i invited a friend home for supper"
what? are you crazy?" the wife replied "the house is a mess, i havent been shopping and i dont feel like cooking"
"i know all that" the husband said
"then why did you invite a friend over for supper?" she asked
he said "because the poor fools thinking about getting married"

Healthcare is a problem and I hope something is done to lower the costs.

why are there no smart husbands?
smart men dont get married

True but most people get married to stay married, but when trying to stay married the statistics are not too good.

a precious little girl walked into a pet shop and asked with a lisp "excuthe me, mithter, do you sell widdle wabbits?"
the shopkeepers heart melted, and he knelt down beside her and asked "do you want a widdle white wabbit or a thoft bwack one?"
the little girl replied, "i dont think my python gives a thit."

where are all the union guys

ok where are the pretend ones

a mother asked her daughter what she wanted for her birthday. the little girl replied, "i want a barbie and GI Joe"
"gi jo?" the mother asked. "i thought barbie comes with ken."
The daughter replied, "no, she comes with gi joe. she fakes it with ken"

that was good

this latest offer has tweaks to most of the areas that in the last offer were supposedly the "last best and final" offer. pretty much the only thing that they didn't touch is the healthcare package. what that tells me is they're not going to, no matter how long this lasts. we've got a new offer now and that means a new vote. it's time we end this and get back to doing what we do better than any salary stand-ins or out-of-state replacements could ever do.

I agree!

Keep it coming jokester.

The company made this offer so the Salary folks will know just lame the teamsters are when they come running back.

We will all look at you as fools who lost thousands of dollars and basically got the same contract, only this time with earings....

A pig is a pig, no matter how you dress it up.

3 cheers to the freakin' stupid teamsters, rock on!

What do you get for walking around in circles for 3 weeks?

NOTHING!

Heard Sikorsky is buying a banana cart to feed the animals when they come back.......

an old retired sailor put on his uniform and went down to the waterfront once for old times sake. he found a prostitute and went up to her room.. he was going at as best as he could for a guy his age and asked "how am i doing?"
she said "well sailor you're doing about three knots"
"hows that?" he asked
she said, "you're knot hard, you're knot in, and you're not getting your money back"

VOTE YES!

FOR YOUR FAMILIES FUTURE, FOR YOUR LIVELIHOOD.
YOU CANNOT MISS ANOTHER PAYCHECK.
JOIN YOUR BROTHERS WAITING FOR YOU IN THE PLANT.

you called someone a jerk than called someone else a retard. got your url.

a tour bus traveling through nevada drove by the mustang ranch
the guide noted "we are now passing the largest house of prostitution in america"
to which a male passenger shouted "why?"

how do you make a 10 year old girl cry twice?
wipe your bloody dick on her stuff animal

why do women fake orgasms?
because they think we care

jokester,
not cool at all....

Just watched Channel 8 news. "the union has rejected the new offer". Who the F*** are they to reject it? How about asking your members what they want.

Nothing to vote on Rocco turned down the offer

a guy was at the supermarket when a sexy blonde raised her hand and smiled at him.
he was taken aback at such a looker waving to him. unable to place her he said "sorry, do you know me?"
she replied "i may be mistaken, but i think you might be the father of one of my children"
his mind shot back to the one and only time he had been unfaithful "holy shit," he said. "are you that stripper from my bachelor party who i screwed on the pool table in front of all my friends while your girlfriend whipped with wet celery?"
"no" she replied "im your son's teacher"

I think its time to Dump this Rocco The offer should have atleast been presented to US THE MEMBERSHIP

Call HR and Resign from the union, I have HAD IT

two hillbillies were out fishing one afternoon. the first said to second "supposin i was to sneak over to your place saturday and make love to your wife while you was off hunting, and she got pregnant and had a baby. would that make us kin?"
the second one replied, "i dont know about that, but it would sure make us even."

the church was packed and all of a sudden satan appeared.... everyone ran out.....Satan said to the old man why are you not scared of me?? I can give you death... I can make your life so bad... the old man looke at him and said you do not scare me at all....Now satan is gettin mad.... do you know I can make your life hell, give you aids and canser... now are you scared.... the old man looks up to satan and says hell no... I have been married to your sister for 56 years

sorry jokester that one came up under your name for some reason

the union rejected the company offer,
it was on the news

SERIOUSLY

why did frosty the snowman pull down his pants?
he heard the snow blower was coming

I hope everyone takes the time to read the entire package because there is more than switched numbers for raises its all in there if you don't understand ask someone to explain if you are already chanting no you only show ignorance

MY KID NEEDS BRACES NOW, MY WIFE IS EXPECTING OUR THIRD, ROCCO IS A TOTAL IDIOT. I HAVE TO VOTE YES---OR CROSS, MY MIND IS MADE UP---GIVE IT UP ROCCO, YOU ARE A LOSER !!!

lol

the union really rejected the offer?

yes, it was on wfsb

a 54 year old accountant leaves a letter for his wife that reads
"dear wife i am 54 and by the time you receive this letter i will be at the radison hotel with my beautiful and sexy 18 year old secretary"
when he arrives at the hotel, there is a letter waiting for him that reads
"dear husband i too am 54 and by the time you receive this letter i will be in a suite at the hilton with my handsome and virile 18 year old boy toy. as an accountant you'll appreciate that 18 goes into 54 many more times then 54 goes into 18"

Thats BS the union did not even let us vote on the new contract???? I see its a similar contract..but Maybe some of us changed our minds since we had time to think about this for three weeks...When we voted the first time we only had a short time to think about it and they urged us to turn it down wich i did not but most did..

I had it with the union Im crossing the line!!!

It has just been brought to my attention that workers who crossed the picket line are recieving personal threats at home. I find this type of behavior astounding. As well I am currently researching on teamster harassment cases. Any threat should be taken seriously and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I have already found one case.

TEAMSTERS (IBT)
Whistleblower on Teamster Racketeering in Mass. Film Industry Vindicated
Robin Dawson, who warned of local Teamsters' strong-arming of the film industry, now runs the reconstituted bureau in charge of movie-making in Massachusetts. And on Sept. 26, she and other business, film and tourism leaders celebrated the first feature film to be shot in Mass. in two years. The movie, Mystic River, is being directed by Clint Eastwood.

As Director of the old Mass. Film Bureau, Dawson warned ex-govs. William Weld (R), and Paul Celluci (R), that shakedowns and expense padding by Intl. Bhd. of Teamsters Local 25 were hindering filmmaking in Mass, acc. to records obtained by the Boston Herald under a Freedom of Information Act request. Allegedly, the Local's boss, George Cashman, even approved the beating of a female snack truck driver who refused to turn her concession contract over to a teamster on the set of the movie, "What's the Worst that Could Happen?"

In March of this year, it was revealed that Dawson was cooperating with a federal investigation of the Local and Cashman. She received several threats to her personal safety, and was offered a safe house for her protection. While the investigation of the union's heavy-handed tactics in movie-making continues, Cashman has already been indicted on separate charges of bribery and embezzlement related to the Local's Health & Insurance Plan.

The Film Bureau was shut down in July, but has now been re-formed with Dawson as the Exec. Director. [Hollywood Reporter 9/27/02]

wow, that does take some balls.

the teamsters leadership is out of touch

I know a lot of you are not going to like this but Rocco had no choice. There was a little more in savings, a little less in pay, 500 dollars next year and the same healthcare. They really needed to give him something more than that for 4 weeks.

Yea paid bloggers Im back posting again. I know you got my url.

three mothers are in a psychologists office.
the psychologist says to the first mom "your obsession with food made you name your child candy"
he says to the second "your obsession with alcohol made you name your kid brandy"
the third mom grabs her sons hand and says "c'mon dick we dont have to stand for this"

LOCAL 1150 NEEDS AN ENEMA

got one more....
3 ladys were going on a long plane flight.... they were getting ready to go... the first one said I am going to where my hot pink panties... the other 2 said why you doing dat? she replied,if the plane goes down in a field they will find me first...
so the second lady said well I am going to were my bright orange panties...... they both looked at her and said why you doing dat? she said if the plane goes down in the water they will find me first....
the third lady said well I aint going to were any panties... they both looked are her and said why are you not going to wear any panties?????
you know they aways look for the black box first..

why does snoop dogg carry an umbrella?
fo'drizzle

why did ron artest leave the basketball game early?
he wanted to beat the crowd

I would hope that our Union leadership will not present this new company offer to the membership. I would expect the leadership to present it's own offer to the federal mediator and negotiate a contract that is an improvement over the one that was rejected by over a 2 to 1 vote. I'll wait to vote on the new, improved contract when it is ready. I have not stayed out of work for 4 weeks to go back for the same contract that was rejected.

I know a lot of you are not going to like this but Rocco had no choice. There was a little more in savings, a little less in pay, 500 dollars next year and the same healthcare. They really needed to give him something more than that for 4 weeks."""

I guess I hope he knows what he is doing. Dont cross until you have to. The company has given us an offer, what would have happened to the crossers at work if we took the offer and went back to work.

the company isnt going to give anymore...
they don't have too.

The will just wait out the teamsters and they
will cross the line in droves

here is another

TEAMSTERS (IBT)
Minnesota Bosses Convicted as Violence Continues to Mark Overnite Job Action
Three bosses with Int'l Bhd. of Teamsters Local 120 in Minneapolis have been found in contempt of court in connection with the assault of one Overnite Transportation Co. driver and the harassment of a second that resulted in that driver being left inside a locked trailer. Bradley Slawson, Jr., Edward Barnum and Lewis Miller were convicted of violating a permanent injunction issued December 1, 1999, limiting IBT activity during the current walkout that began on October 24, 1999.

Slawson is the recording secretary of Local 120, which is headed by C. Thomas Keegel, who also serves as the secretary-treasurer of IBT, the #2 post behind IBT president James P. Hoffa. Slawson is the son of Local 120 Vice President Bradley Slawson Sr.

The May 8 convictions in the Anoka County Dist. Court follow by three weeks the convictions in Philadelphia of IBT Local 107 and a picket line captain who were found guilty of contempt of court and fined $30,000 in connection with the assault on an Overnite driver in Bucks County, Pa. The Overnite driver was accosted in his personal vehicle on the way to work, just one day prior to his scheduled testimony as a witness in a second case involving alleged threats by a teamster in a separate incident in Philadelphia.

Despite the teamster claims of a "peaceful" job action, the National Labor Relations Board has issued nine complaints against the teamsters for violence and threats of violence. Judges in 21 cities in 14 states have issued injunctions in an effort to curtail violence by picketers and teamster supporters. In addition, a federal task force is investigating possible links to 48 reported shootings and numerous acts of assault and vandalism aimed at Overnite and its employees since the protest began. In Jan., a 225-page federal racketeering suit filed in Jackson, Tenn., named Hoffa and other executive members of the union as defendants in an orchestrated pattern of racketeering activities, including 57 predicate acts of attempted murder, aimed at extorting a labor contract with Overnite.

According to Anoka County court papers, Slawson and Barnum confronted an Overnite driver during a pickup stop in Eden Prairie, Minn., on Mar. 30. The two Teamsters subsequently locked the driver inside his trailer. The driver was released from the vehicle only after his shouts for help were heard from a dock worker. On Apr. 4, again according to court testimony, Slawson and Miller were following another Overnite vehicle in Arden Hills, Minn., when they harassed and threatened the driver before Slawson struck the driver in the face with a picket sign.

The three defendants were ordered to keep away from Overnite property and that of the trucking company's customers for the purpose of assisting the union in any labor action against Overnite. The defendants also were ordered to pay $500 each to compensate Overnite for attorneys' fees and costs. [Overnite Transp. Co., Media Release 5/15/00]

STRATFORD, Conn., March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 1150 presented a good-faith, comprehensive contract proposal today to the federal mediator that was intended to serve as the basis for a fair compromise to get the 3,600 striking Sikorsky workers back to work.

However, Sikorsky Aircraft immediately rejected this reasonable compromise out of hand, choosing instead to take the low road by issuing a warmed-over version of the company's original proposal that the Teamsters overwhelmingly rejected in favor of a strike.

The company's sham proposal fails to address the reason its workers are on strike -- their health care benefits are being slashed. Sikorsky's unreasonable demands on health care ultimately will result in pay cuts for its lower-paid workers.

The union stands ready to negotiate a fair contract that rewards Sikorsky workers for their hard work, yet reflects the reality of increased health care costs in the United States.

Sikorsky's games, intended to divide Teamsters standing united against an increasingly desperate company, show once again the lack of regard it has for its workers, for their communities and for elected officials that have urged the company to return to the bargaining table in good faith.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters

the company isnt going to give anymore...
they don't have too.

The will just wait out the teamsters and they
will cross the line in droves"

The paid bloggers are back

a nun wearing a full black habit is walking past a bar when a drunk stumbles out, sees her, and punches her in the face. before she can scream, he lands a quick jab and finishes her with an uppercut. she goes down, and the drunk starts kicking her in the sides. a few of his friends walk out the bar, and as they pull him off the bloody nun, he yells "you're not so tough, are you, Batman!"

TEAMSTERS,,,, its understandable if you have noi choice but to cross but dont let these paid bloggers scare you into crossing thats why they are on here getting paid.

TIRED & BORED ROCCO HASN'T TOLD US ANYTHING AT ALL FOR 3 WEEKS--ALL RUMORS ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, WE LOST, BITE ME, WE TRIED, NOW ITS TIME TO SAY BITE ME ROCCO, WE NEED TO GO BACK IN THERE, WITH OR WITHOUT HIM-------

The company is not slashing Healthcare benefits, only making your payments more in line with everyone else’s.

Get on the bus, or move out of the way!

I read the Sikorsky offer on the Intranet and thought the strike would be over. Then, on Channel 8 news they said the union rejected the offer.

What are you guys NUTS and selfish???

Yes, it’s the same old stuff just lightly sweeten.

What is hourly’s opinion about losing more work vs. health care cost?

Let’s face it; any deal will be at the expense of your fellow members (the younger members and the unwanted by SA). You should expect around 500 union members or more to loose their jobs by the end of the year as the strike drags. More sweeten of the deal will be at then expensive of the union

a couple more.. then gotta rest up to walk da line...

a little boy comes home from school and tells his father that his homework is to find out the difference between "potentially" and "realistically"
"easy" says the father "first ask your mom if she'd sleep with the mailman for a million dollars"
the boy comes back and says mom said yes
"now go ask your sister the same question" the father said.
the boy come back and says sister said yes
"so potentially we're sitting on 2 million dollars" replies the father "but, realistically we're living with a pair of whores"

What are you guys NUTS and selfish???

We had no say.

teamster history a la cart

=============================================
Teamster Scandals and Republicans
or why the Republicans should just shut up
=============================================

-- Nathan Newman, newman@garnet.berkeley.edu
(1997)

Let's talk about scandals involving Teamster political fundraising and the
corruption of relations between the President and the unions' top
officers.

No, not scandals involving Clinton and the present Teamsters. If the
Democratic National Committee had anything to do with helping Ron Carey
defeat Jimmy Hoffa Jr. and his mob-affiliated allies over control of the
Teamsters Union, I say two cheers for the Dems.

But what is amazing about Republicans tskk-tssking the irregular
donations to Carey's election is that they don't have the decency to keep
their mouths shut. What the Democrats are accused of doing is backing
the pro-democracy and anti-corruption faction of the Teamsters in exchange
for political support Carey's members overwhelmingly supported in the
first place.

On the other hand, for two decades, the Republicans supported the corrupt,
mob-backed leadership of the Teamsters union and protected them from
serious government investigation. In exchange, the Teamsters were the only
major union that supported Republicans for the Presidency and would donate
millions to the Republican party.

It is worth remembering that is was Robert Kennedy back in the 1950s who
led the Congressional investigations into Teamster corruption,
investigations that led to the AFL-CIO expelling the Teamsters from the
labor federation. It was under Democrats in the 1960s that Jimmy Hoffa
Sr. (the father of the man Carey defeated last year for leadership of the
Teamsters) was indicted and imprisoned for fraud and looting the pensions
of his unions' retirees.

And then Richard Nixon pardoned Jimmy Hoffa in 1971 in exchange for the
Teamsters endorsing Nixon for President in 1972. Hoffa would not survive
the internal mob crossfire in the union, but the bond between the corrupt
Teamster leadership and the Republican Party would become only stronger.

In the late 70s, the corrupt Teamster leadership began a massive public
relations and political donation campaign to whitewash their image. Part
of this campaign involved hiring F. C. Duke Zeller, a Virginian Republican
operator who had been an unsuccessful Republican nominee for state
government and had turned to PR as a career. Hired by the Teamsters, he
detailed over a decade of the Teamster-Republican Party dealings in his
recent memoir, DEVIL'S PACT: INSIDE THE WORLD OF THE TEAMSTERS (1996).

Zeller recounts how the Teamsters ponied up millions of dollars to support
Ronald Reagan and his Republicans in 1980, but did even more yeoman work
for the Republicans in propaganda that union and working class voters
really wanted Reagan. The Teamsters conducted a mail ballot poll of their
members' preferences for President. When the results showed a strong
preference for Carter, Zeller was ordered to throw away ballots and rig
the poll and announce that Teamster members favored Ronald Reagan. As the
only major union supporting Reagan, the Teamsters were crucial for Reagan
in campaigning not just as a candidate of the wealthy but as someone who
related to blue-collar concerns.

When Reagan was elected President, the Teamsters were rewarded handsomely
and directly for their support. Within days of his inauguration, Reagan
made a public visit to the DC Teamster "Marble Palace" headquarters, the
first President ever to do so. Reagan also chose as labor secretary Ray
Donovan, the hand-picked choice of the top leadership of the Teamsters.
Donovan was a contractor involved with many of the same corrupt business
deals that many Teamster leaders had in New Jersey. (Donovan was indicted
but not convicted for his association with those deals.)

But most importantly, the Reagan White House agreed to pull back
investigations into corruption among the Teamster leadership. Individual
leaders might get indicted, but a full-scale housecleaning was no longer
in the cards. Just as Nixon's deal with the Teamsters and Jimmy Hoffa's
pardon had lessened the pressure for the 1970s, the Republican-Teamster
deal of 1980 would let mob-connected officials loot the dues of union
members for most of the 1980s.

In 1984, the Teamsters dutifully rigged another poll of its members to
fake rank-and-file support for Reagan and poured millions more into
Republican races. The Teamsters endorsed Ronald Reagan and he basked in
the image of blue-collar "Reagan Democrats" supporting him and his
Republican party.

Soon then-Teamster President Jackie Presser was indicted and as he turned
government informant, more and more of the dirt on the Teamsters went
public. Yet, the Reagan White House, while distancing themselves from the
Teamsters, did little to pursue comprehenisve reform in the union.
Instead, the legal impetus for change came from a maverick, show-boating
U.S. Attorney in New York named Rudolph Giuliani (now mayor) who had been
pursuing corruption in local New York Teamster locals; in 1988 he filed
a lawsuit against the International Teamster union demanding that the
whole union be put into trusteeship by the government in order to clean
out the corruption.

Rank-and-file Teamster reformers in the 10,000-strong Teamsters for a
Democratic Union pushed Giuliani to avoid trusteeship in favor of open
elections by the membership. In 1989, Giuliani offered the Teamster
leadership a deal; if they agreed to direct elections of top officers by
the membership under federal supervision, no trusteeship.

Now why was direct elections such a big deal?

Well, throughout the 1980s (and in earlier years), local delegates to
national Teamster conventions had little chance of getting elected if they
opposed union corruption. Thomas Geoghegan, a labor lawyer and writer,
described a large part of his job in the 1980s: "I represent Teamster
dissidents who get beaten up at the Union hall. Oh yes, really beaten
up...the client is really bleeding. He is really at the hospital. His
wife, hysterical, is really calling on the phone."

As the Reagan administration accepted Teamster leadership money and
endorsements while protecting them from investigation, rank-and-file
dissidents were organizing and pushing for reform and often bleeding in
the hospital at the end of the day. Many were members of Teamsters for a
Democratic Union, but they faced the problem that it was possible to clean
up an a local union (and there were many honest Teamster locals despite
the national corruption) but nearly impossible to gain the critical mass
to penetrate giant locals firmly in the hands of corruption.

So direct elections gave Teamsters for a Democratic Union a chance, one
that the corrupt leadership discounted when they accepted elections, but
one the TDU was prepared to take advantage of. The old corrupt leadership
divided into two warring camps while TDU built a campaign around the
leadership of Ron Carey. Carey had been famous for almost two decades for
running a corruption-free UPS local in New York City--he was profiled in a
1976 book on the Teamsters by writer Steve Brill. He had led
rank-and-file campaigns for fairer national UPS contracts and he rallied
reform elements to win a plurality of 48% of the vote, despite the hold of
the old guard on information and propaganda in large areas of the country.

Once elected with his reform slate of officers, Carey set-out to clean up
corrupt locals around the country but ran into resistance of the old-guard
who fought to preserve the privileges and corruption of their positions.
The divided old-guard began to regroup around Jimmy Hoffa's son, Jimmy
Hoffa Jr., who had his own ties to the corrupt old guard. In a true fit
of chutzpah, Hoffa Junior began accusing Carey of corruption, ironically
arguing that inherited UPS stock from his father's profit-sharing at the
company would make him too weak in facing down the company.

Republicans and business magazines rushed to repeat these unsubstantiated
charges of corruption against Carey (all of which were later refuted) but
the intended damage to Carey's reputation had been done, as Hoffa
loyalists reprinted business press articles attacking Carey.

When the new union election came in 1996, Hoffa Junior was able to draw on
the deep pockets of the corrupt, overpaid old guard who outspent Carey
forces $3.7 million to $1.6 million, using phone banks to repeat lies
about Carey's supposed corruption in order to overshadow Hoffa's own
corrupt forces. But Carey managed to squeak through with a 52-48%
victory.

As it turns out, part of that squeak may have been due to illegal
contribution funneled through progressive activists from national union
funds. There is also some evidence that the Democratic Party may have
covertly supported Carey.

Now, such actions are not the best thing in the long-run for union
democracy, but there is a stench of hypocrisy and worse when Republicans,
including Senator Fred Thompson (a former lawyer for the Teamster
pension fund in the days of top union leadeship corruption) attack the
Democrats for their possible support of Carey.

For two decades, Republicans exchanged protection of corrupt Teamster
leaders for campaign cash and endorsements. Now that Carey and his
democratic reformers have begun to bring back honest union leadership and
a challenge to corprate greed, it is rank sanctimonious hypocrisy for them
to condem the Democrats for possibly aiding the good guys in cleaning up
the corruption the Republicans supported for two decades.

The legal process is moving forward, indictments are being made against
the guilty, and a new election is being held.

Beyond that, maybe the Republicans should just shut up.

Rocco did it for a reason, for whatever reason I hope it was worth it.

I walked into work one day and did not feel like being there. I just needed some time off... so I told my co worker a blonde that I was going to act nuts. I jumped up on the light bulb and started to swing around on it and my boss came in. He said what are you doing? I said I am a light bulb and he said you are stressed go home and take a few days off. So I jumped down and my co worker followed me. He said to her and where do you think your going? she said do you expect me to work in the dark?

tired striker,
Do you really think anyone reads that crap that you cut and paste ? It's just a waste of space..

excuse me. I heard the teamsters rejected the new proposal. When was the f****** vote. The union leadership rejected the proposal. Lets get our facts straight.

they better, seems to me, that teamsters are a mafia outfit.

TO CRAP--YOU READ IT DIDN'T YOU ??

that toliet paper offer is best where it is...

two guys looking to get drunk for a couple of bucks.. when one comes up with an ideal.. he says to the other "ill buy a hot dog and were go into a bar order some shots and then ill put the hotdog in my pants and pull it out and you get down on your knees and suck it then we will get thrown out without having to pay" they go into the first bar and order some drinks the first guy pulls the hotdog out of his pants and the other sucks it they get thrown out and dont have to pay.. on to a great ideal they go to five more bars and do the same thing.. after the fifth bar the second guy goes i cant do this no more my knees are killing me and im hungry.. the first one goes im not hungry i ate the hotdog after the second bar

no i scrolled on past it

jokester your on from 2-6 walking?

i am sorry tired striker.
you have a right to post what ever you want here.
I too am tired..........

i am tired too. seriously what do you guys get paid to harass people?

Poor tired Striker, you missed the point. Your leadership speaks for you. Hence, if you leaderships reject it, so did you. Stand up and be heard not you me, but the people you gave your voices to!!!

Keystone is a paid blogger.
Let's ask it !!
What do you get paid to harass people ?
And don't say your job or other such garbage.
Come clean.

I hear ya it does suck that we are not able to have a say, which will be covered at the meeting, but he had to do it for a good reason.

To all of those making calculations about the relative difference between the old contract (3.0%+3.0%+3.0%) and the new one (4.0%+3.5%+3.0%), you are missing a very important element. John Gozzi claims to have a degree in Business Management - perhaps he would remember a little concept from his Introductory Finance course called Time Value of Money. Time Value of Money implies that a dollar received today is worth more than a dollar received in the future, by virtue of inflation, interest rates, etc.

The implication for the union is that the new contract is in fact a better deal because you are receiving a larger salary increase sooner. I haven't worked the numbers myself, but feel free to try: simply divide the net result of the wage increase by an appropriate discount rate (now generally considered to be 4% or so by most financial professionals) raised to the T power, where T equals 1,2,3 (the number of years in the future). Ask J. Gozzi for help if you don't understand.

I'm interested in what they make doing this also.

Sorry, meant (3.5%+3.5%+3.5%) for the old contract. Concept still holds, though.

it was 3.5 % for all 3 years

To all of those making calculations about the relative difference between the old contract (3.0%+3.0%+3.0%) and the new one (4.0%+3.5%+3.0%), you are missing a very important element. John Gozzi claims to have a degree in Business Management - perhaps he would remember a little concept from his Introductory Finance course called Time Value of Money. Time Value of Money implies that a dollar received today is worth more than a dollar received in the future, by virtue of inflation, interest rates, etc.

The implication for the union is that the new contract is in fact a better deal because you are receiving a larger salary increase sooner. I haven't worked the numbers myself, but feel free to try: simply divide the net result of the wage increase by an appropriate discount rate (now generally considered to be 4% or so by most financial professionals) raised to the T power, where T equals 1,2,3 (the number of years in the future). Ask J. Gozzi for help if you don't understand

True statement about todays currrency being worth more thean tomarrows. But what does that say about the 3% increase for year 3. Because of inflation that year 3 would hurt them, if they werent smart enough to invest a lot of it.

hey keystone ?
why don't you answer ?
wait i know you'll insult me or write some other such garbage...
just come clean..
what do you make as a blogger ?

I just wish this would all end. I miss my fellow hourly and salary coworkers.

This does suck, but what do you think is killing the value of our money the most, Bush's spending on everything and everything? I wish the government would find a solution or the economy is just going to keep sinking but at faster and faster rates.

Is the shift over no ones talking

I have no shift. I don't even know what day it is anymore

AS with all the jokes in this blog, poems, and now spam....the blog has turned into a joke.

But also, for a few minutes, after hearing the news that SA gave another offer, a gleam of hope shot my spirits up. Now I find out that the leader of the union refused it...and with no vote???? WTF???

Who is Rocco really working for? There are 3600...errrr...3500 of us that need the work, needs the jobs, and now that we understand what the contract is, I'm sure a full majority will vote for anything we can get right now. We just need work, money, and to get back on our feet again. Stop messing with my life, trying to make a stand on a national crisis of rising healthcare costs. I'm not in the mood to loose my job, more weeks of wages and sink deeper into financial debt for a no-win fight.

WE can already see what Sikorsky will still offer, and granted, it's nearly the same as before, but some minor changes. It is still competitive with the rest of the other aircraft manufacturers wages and benifits. Plus look at the location for where a majority of the unions brothers and sisters work...right in the middle of CT, and compared to the local average income bracket for equivilent workers...we got it pretty good. It is hard to live in CT decently without some of the kickbacks that Sikorsky does offer us.

IF Rocco and the others wants to use us as a pawn for his venture to make a name for himself, then I'm not going to take it. I finally got that union resignation letter e-mailed to me, and an envelope. He is messing with our lives as if he thinks he can get such a big company to falter on something that the other 220,000 employees have to pay....we are not in a posistion to even stand on our feet.

4 weeks, thats enough time that we could have had a few more helicopters rolled out, and now because we are taking a stand, most of the helicopters are being put together by people that shipped in from other states, and the possible mess that can happen with this...is..well, did they do a full background check on the temp workers, any terrorist in that crowd, any druggies?... I had pride that we built a great fleet of helicopters for the militart and the public, but when we do get back to work, we'll be spending months trying to fix what they might have broken, slipped up, or sabotaged...etc.

To Anonymous at 12:11AM,

I guess it's always easy to blame the 'people in charge' for anything which we cannot possibly understand on our own. Now I don't expect you, or anyone else for that matter, to be an accomplished macroeconomist, but here's a simple lesson: the relative value of currencies around the world has a lot more to do with relative interest rates (a concept known as interest rate parity) than with national deficits. You will notice that over the past year, the value of the dollar ("our money", as you put it) has appreciated substantially against both the Euro and the Pound Sterling, largely as a result of the Federal Reserve Board (under the auspices of Alan Greenspan, now Ben Bernanke), raising interest rates from all-time lows to almost pre-2001 levels.

I'd advise that you stop believing everything you hear in the liberal media (or perhaps, from your neo-socialist union), and do some research for yourself. Perhaps you were picketing and couldn't glance at last week's headlines, to find the Dow gaining over 100 points in a day, after the release of many positive economic reports (unemployment declining, consumer confidence improving, inflation held in check, housing starts steady, etc.).

^^^military^^^...

Nice to see that Sikorsky also dropped the $1000 incentive bonus for completing schedualed aircraft on time...Thanks guys...that could have also payed some bills.

Please come back to work soon. We miss you. We miss you like a root canal. Without the novocaine.

What happens when the gov. spends money? What is the direct effect. The direct effect is there is more out there, and in turn the value of our dollar goes down. National spending has a direct effect on the value of the dollar. That is basic. This also plays a big role in determining the interest rates.

all I know is that there has been alot of government spending. What is a big problem in this country is that it is so hard to accurately obsess growth and also alot of economists have different ways and different opinions, on the status. Prices in this country are going up. There are too many examples, healthcare being the most obvious. I dont think prices are going up because interest rates are low, I think interest rates are low because prices are going up.

went to the union page. the hall of Fame said only a handfull has left, its over 200. People look at your union. and ask yourself what have they really done for me. they lied again, they will not update the hall of FAME

xxxxxxx

No production bonus, no 401k match to ratification bonus, we did real good by striking. We better take this because there may not be another opportunity.

Thank god,
I got up turned on the new and heard that the Union rejected the latest offer.

At least we can have a few more days of peace and quiet before they let the monkeys back in.....

Thank you Rocco!

You Teamsters are so very lucky! Not only did the company offer you a new contract, it is virtually the same as the one you already rejected, which was a pretty damned good deal in the first place.

Same 80/20 health plan, no surprise there. The same 10.5% wage increase over the life of the contract, an increase to the pension and 401(k) amounts and even an extra $500 in the rat bonus.

I did notice that only $1k of the rat bonus will be paid this year, with the other $1500 paid next year. That was a very smart move on their part. It makes you think you are getting more, but since they are already in the process of relocating and have already cut 400 jobs, they won't even have to pay out most of the 2007 portion of that bonus. And I noticed, too, that they dropped the 50% matching if you put it in your 401(k). I smell layoffs.

When all is said and done, with this offer, Sikorsky will still have exactly what it wants, which is the 80/20. That they have even made an offer indicates that they have completed the first phase of their strike plan and are now ready to put the best and brightest of you back to work and lay off the freeloading dead weight of the rest of you.

I am sure many of you will see this new contract and want immediately to vote for it, which is probably what the company wants you to do. They've let you go so long now that most of you cannot afford to hold out for something better. So basically, the four weeks of lost wages? ALL FOR NOTHING!

WOW! What a "sweet" deal! An extra $500! That's almost worth being out of work for a month! NOT!

But at least they made a slight improvement. Wonder how much more they will give us if we stay out a little longer?

This is a well calculated PR offer designed to buy more time to accomplish their goals of reorganization. Nice job 1150!

dont you see the the economics of the strike don't add up for the union ?

"I know a lot of you are not going to like this but Rocco had no choice. There was a little more in savings, a little less in pay, 500 dollars next year and the same healthcare. They really needed to give him something more than that for 4 weeks."

Posted by: anonymous on March 13, 2006 11:30 PM

YGBSM...do you seriously think that the company should recognize and pay extra for your stupidity in rejecting the first contract? Rocco was given a chance to save face here...and your jobs for that matter.

They WILL give us the health plan we demand. We've worked for it, we've earned it, we deserve it.

To 6:28... I think that was sarcasm!

DON'T REJECT ANY MORE OFFERS UNTIL YOU PUT THEM TO A VOTE OF YOUR UNION MEMEBERS. THEY ALL WANT TO GET BACK TO WORK. OR DO YOU WANT THE UNION BUSTED?????

Yes everyone wants to get back to work and no the union will not be busted. They need us back. If they didn't, they wouldn't be sending home letters and upping the ante on the contract. It's not any better than the last contract. In fact it is worse, because it hints at layoffs. We need to hang in there, even if it takes another month, because our bargaining position is only getting stronger. We can get this medical plan changed. I think we also need some security in there so that they can't lay anyone off. The four-year deal is a good idea, but we need to make sure they dont relocate or lay off.

Dear Pissed Off,

When you accepted union membership, you agreed to let your union speak for you. The only one you should be pissed off at is yourself for joining the union in the first place. And if you're so pissed off about it, then resign.

From the New Haven Register this morning:

03/14/2006
Sikorsky union offers concessions
Damian J. Troise , Register Staff

STRATFORD — Teamsters Local 1150 offered Monday 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 intended to end a strike by 3,600 Sikorsky Aircraft workers that is now in its fourth week.
The offer — which excludes the cost of prescription drugs — came as part of a new proposal the union submitted Monday at the request of a federal mediator.

Sikorsky also submitted new proposals Monday, but nothing concerning health care costs, the issue that spurred the strike.

"We moved well off of our position, and they haven’t budged," said Rocco Calo, secretary-treasurer of Local 1150. "It’s a slap in the face. They have not engaged in any serious bargaining."

The federal mediator had asked both sides to submit new offers that would provide negotiating room, Calo said.

The workers went on strike Feb. 20, a day after rejecting a three-year contract proposal because it would increase the amount workers must pay for health care insurance. Premiums are currently $26.50 a week for family coverage, with medical care fully covered after co-payments. Sikorsky’s original proposal would double the premiums and shift 20 percent of the cost of health care to the workers.

Monday’s proposal by Sikorsky leaves the health care changes in place, but offers a bigger signing bonus and higher raises up front, as well as higher 401(k) contribution limits.

"We’re hopeful the union will present the offer to its membership," said Sikorsky spokesman Ed Steadham.

The original proposal called for a 3.5 percent wage increase each year of the contract. The changes Monday shift it to 4 percent the first year, 3.5 percent the second year and 3 percent the third year. The idea is to soften the blow of the increased health care costs in the first year of the contract.

The original proposal included a $2,000 signing bonus, and Monday’s changes would boost that to $2,500 — $1,000 right away and $1,500 in January.

However, Calo said under the original proposal, workers could turn the $2,000 signing bonus into $3,000 simply by investing the money into the company’s 401(k) plan, which offers a 50 percent match. Under Monday’s revisions, Sikorsky offered $2,500 with no eligibility for the match.

"What they really did was take away $500," he said.

Calo charged the company with mischaracterizing Monday’s proposal, because a press release issued by Sikorsky did not mention that the increased signing bonus would not be eligible for the 50 percent 401(k) match.

The press release also implies that several new proposals were made when they are the same as the original proposal. For instance, the press release states the company will raise the pension multiplier — an amount used to calculate pension benefits based on years of service — by $7. The same offer is in the original proposal.

"The press release they put out and what they gave me are two different things," Calo said.

Steadham declined to comment on that allegation.

The company’s new proposal would also increase the maximum employee contribution to the 401(k) plan from $56 to $62 a week.

"There is no difference financially in their last proposal and this proposal," Calo said. "They just shifted money around. The ironic part is that’s all we’ve ever asked them to do, but shift it into health care."

The Teamsters new proposal offers a four-year contract. "That gives them the advantage," Calo said. "It allows them to tell customers they will have labor peace for four years. It’s easier to schedule production."

Under the union’s new offer to accept 20 percent of the cost of health care, excluding prescriptions, workers’ insurance costs would increase 60 percent the first year, 10 percent in both the second and third years, and remain flat the fourth year, Calo said.

In return for those concessions, the union is asking for raises of 3.5 percent in the first year followed by 4.5 percent raises in each of the next three years.

The union also asks for the pension multiplier, now at $45, to increase by $12. Monthly pension benefits are calculated by multiplying years of service by the multiplier figure.

The union also asks for the signing bonus to be increased by $500 but retain the 50 percent 401(k) match, and asks to increase the number of workers eligible for severance from 200 to 350.

Sikorsky’s press release states that the company’s new proposal "was presented after union negotiators made a revised offer that significantly increased the economic costs to the company."

Sikorsky is a division of Hartford-based United Technologies Corp. Workers are striking at Sikorsky’s headquarters at 6900 Main St., as well as at facilities in Bridgeport, Shelton and West Haven.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian J. Troise can be reached at dtroise@nhregister.com or 789-5685.

OK, to all you company suckups, i mean bloggers, it's coming up on 7:30. Time to log off, put on some extra chap stick and drop trou. Your manager will be by soon. Oh, don't for get to clock on to upgrade and training...no, you guys are pros, no need to upgrade....how about hazardous waste training

Where is Wayne this morning?

sgt striker
as i said yesterday your lack of intelligence is showing. don't you know how to communicate without any sexual references??

Where is Wayne this morning?

Review the offer carefully, and present it at your meeting tomorrow. The replacement workers is not a joke, they are here, about 87, so end this before you loose your job forever....

Update from the real world. I am self-employed and paying $1500 per month, yes, per month, for a family of 4 for health insurance. That of course is not including dental.

Sounds to me like sgt striker is compensating for something. Hmmm, wonder what it could be?! And sgt of what, I'd like to know?!

After reading the NH Register article posted above, I guess it's pretty obvious who has whom by the balls. The company is so winning out on this one. They know you will vote to ratify this contract because all your huffing and puffing that you could stay out several months if needed were just lies. You had people crossing after a WEEK! Get real.

Dear Union Guys/Gals

If your cause is so important, why are the other unions of UTC not supporting you? They should be on strike to support their brothers and Sisters. Answer: They already ratified their contracts with the healthcare plan you rejected. They keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. They realized real fast that UTC is going to a one system (with choices) of healthcare for all. They managed to get increases in other areas. Where is the Union counteroffer? Did you base it on what the machinist received? Why do you think you deserve better? Do you make more money for the corporation? Start understanding your enemy!

I hear Salary people being proud of what they do and where they work. They are even proud of doing the union’s work. The company’s commitments are salary’s commitments. What are union’s commitments? (Strike?) Does a union person ever say: “I am proud to work at Sikorsky!� Does the Teamsters site even use the word SIKORSKY other than to say strike? Do the Union jackets ever show a Sikorsky logo? Any Sikorsky hats in the union crowd? The union is a false god. What have they done for you lately, today? Can you even find them? Where is Jimmy H Jr. today? What has he done for you TODAY?

Union people act as prodigal sons. Give me my share and good-by. The time will come when you realize who really takes care of you, who is your real parent, and where is your real home. You will return – in shame and hope for the least. The parent is actually already welcoming you back. You continue to refuse the call. You stand united with your false god.

Productivity. When a salary person gets a raise, they are expected to work more efficiently and produce more for the company. Unions, how about asking for more salary and offer productivity increases? (Can you say WIN/WIN?) What a great bargaining chip. Set up some pay for performance incentives. When an aircraft is properly assembled in less time (and less escapes) - get a bonus (equivalent OT money). Can you figure this out? Let me spell it out - Work harder/faster for more pay. As we reduce the price of aircraft, more aircraft will be bought. The company will profit, leave the jobs in CT (because they can not find anyone more productive to do it!), and Unions will be assured of continued employment. (Can you say WIN/WIN?)

Strategy (Lack there of!) The Union has not countered with any offer at any time. The only response was STIKE. With all the paid union dues, a slick lawyer/advisor could have been hired and produced some real advice. Your well-paid Union Bosses are not very productive nor do they have a strategy (Telling everyone what G David makes and Striking is not what I call a plan or strategy.). Union Bosses are relying on a Mafia mentality. The Mafia does not even play well in the theaters anymore. You stand united with your outdated Neanderthal god.

Reality. It takes Honda 18 hours and Toyota 19 hours in a non-union shops located in the USA to assemble a car. It takes GMC 23+ hours to assemble a car in a union shop located in the USA. GMC also has the burden of big union pensions. How well is GMC competing with Honda? Unions and unproductive workforces are UNAMERICAN. The USA is the greatest country because we have the most freedoms and the highest productively of other countries. Union members are not free to do a better/faster job. They are not free to cross the line without a shameful “wall of shame.� Entrenched Unionites slow down others that want to work and get to training. How about the rest you speed up? When productivity is lost, so will the country. We are in a global economy. We have to compete – G-L-O-B-A-L-L-Y. WAKEUP.

Teamsters – I believe the wrong end of the horse made it to your logo. What do driving horses have to do with building helicopters? I respect the Machinist at Pratt. They are a class outfit and have skilled workers. They managed to get a contract ratified. They have even used ACE to increase productivity. That is why they are not supporting your sub-class of union. Dump the Teamsters and joint the machinist if you are worthy. Teamsters are out-of-touch, out-classed, untouchables of modern skilled worker society.

Now that we have rejected this new offer, where do we go from here? I really don't think they will be getting better. We need to end this nonsense now!

Anon 8:20, what do you mean "now that we have rejected this new offer?" Who rejected it? When was it rejected? Did I miss a vote or something?

Here's a scenerio for you:

The union wins for you but then SIK has to lay you off (and send your job to another, less expensive country) because they can't afford you AND your benefits. Maybe you could move in with your shop steward and he/she could adopt you so you could enjoy the benefits you walked in a circle for after all!!!

As Bill Engvall would say:
"Heeeeeeere's your sign!"

"WE" didn't reject a dad-gum thing. ROCCO did it for us.

Hey, Goz, Thanks for the compliment.

Anonymous of 437PM -

Thanks for the textbook definition of psyops and their uses. Anyone who carefully reads that definition and looks at this blog and the other methods the company is employing will see that is exactly what they are engaged in. I would not expect them to do otherwise. On the other hand, they should not cry when the union and its supporters engage in counter-psyops. Fair is fair.

I see the paid bloggers are busy at it.

Yeah, Rocco has REALLY done a lot for, I mean to, you guys. HE didn't like what he saw, so HE rejected it.......WITHOUT telling you guys what it was all about. That REALLY speaks well of your union leadership. But only blame yourselves, 'cause you are the ones who put him where he is now. By the way, did you know he arrived back in town the day before the "RALLY" from the cruise he was on???? and where has he been since then.......NOT on the line with you guys.

I hope you strikers stay out there for a few more months. By then I'll have enough PAID OVERTIME to buy my NEW car, CASH. I'll even think of you when I'm on vacation that all the PAID OVERTIME has paid for. The vacation will be down south in the NEW Sikorsky location. Too bad I won't see you guys there, you'll still be looking for your new jobs up here.....paying more for benefits than ever.

The new proposal offered by Calo according to Damian Troise of the New Haven Register sounds reasonable to me. The union is conceding the 80/20 health plan but we're getting 3.5% in the first year and 4.5% for the next 3 years. The pension multiplier to be increased by $12 is big for the older workers. The signing bonus increased by $500 and retaining the 50% match and increasing the workers eligible for severance from 200 to 350 is good. If Sikorsky accepts, let's run with it and go back to work!!
Let's REVOTE. Forget the loudmouths on this blog.

Lets get realistic here. Sik has commited to delivering a lot of aircrafts this year. There is no way that, as you salaried guys have put it, it can be done wih 1/3 of the hourly workforce. However, I gotta tell you that I would be very pissed off if I were one of the people layed off because my job is found to be done cheaper and faster at some offsite location.

"However, I gotta tell you that I would be very pissed off if I were one of the people layed off because my job is found to be done cheaper and faster at some offsite location."

You know the old saying, better to be pissed off than pissed on! Maybe it is time for you to go back to work.

to 6:29 A.M.

you'll get what you deserve...yes. A place in the unemployment line! Grown men and women acting like fools. Get with the real world..nothing is for free anymore.

Your Union officials are the ones who screwed you with poor planning and organization.

They knew there would be a strike that UTC wasn;t going to budge long before. If they didn't they they where nto doing their jobs and they should be voted out.

They could have put pressure on the company in the months leading up to the first neogiations when they woould have some idea of the position UTC was going to take.

Gee what about the Union telling their membership to implement a 100% compliance action, a old tactic, not flashy, not news worthy, but sometimes effective to show resolve when going into the bargaining table.

How effective is a position when troops dig their foxholes before the shells fall, compared to pulling the shovels out when the shelling starts?

For those who do not know this tactic it is when you all pull out your safety manuals, QC regs, P&P books, and hazmat regulations etc.. and FOLLOW THEM 100%. No more shortcuts, nor more work arounds to get the job done.

The company knows that it is impossible to follow the rules 100%, heck many conflict with others. The rely on you guys on the floor to work around them to cover over to get the aircraft out the door and to the customer.

What kind of slowdown would happen and cost over runs if you had to fix problems with the rules, reject parts and not let them slide for some minor flaw that doesn;t effect the ovrall quality. Yeah this doesn't happen yeah right.

How many time deliveries are shipped in or out of materials and the paperwork wasn't 100% or not delievered as scheduled but a slight of hand takes care of it, other wise the shipment would have to be delayed or returned becuse it didn;t follow the rules.

You would show the company that it would cost them more than to give in some way to avoid the strike.

But the only time Sik union workers are uniteed arm in arm is when you have mob mentality, otherwise when your in the shop sticking together because he or she is a union brother is less important than if they are a personal or department friend.

This tactic would cause more work for your union hall as they would not have to field complaints and actions from management. Now we wouldn't want your officers and officals doing more work. THey are suppose to protect you when your following the rules right? Thats what the union is for right?

BTW, with this tactic you would be being PAID your regular wage and have your med benefits to stay alive for some.

Union members look to the Union hall. Take a more active role. Don't be played by the company or the union. How much does your Union officials get paiid while there is a strike. Hmm a new by-law, when there is a strike called all union officals and hall employees can not be paid more than the declared strike pay. See how fast a solution is found when they have no insurance and only get $235 per week!!!

Persone los pioneros non rabata. Great...

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