Brothers and Sisters:
As we begin the eleventh week of our strike against Vought Aircraft, I cannot commend you enough for the solidarity you have shown. The way you have stuck together, supported one another, encouraged one another, and braved the cold and the rain on the picket lines are something you and your families can truly be proud of.
As you know the Federal Mediation Service has called both sides to a meeting this coming Friday, December 12th. Again we are cautiously optimistic. This strike resulted because the company stopped bargaining with your elected committee and tried to sell it’s demands to the bargaining unit. All it would have taken to avoid a strike was to offer some increases in wages, pension, and insurance and we could have continued working. But the company chose to take away sonority rights, overtime pay, and offer a substandard wage and benefit proposal that your committee told them would not be accepted by the membership.
Your negotiating committee has listened to you over the past ten weeks and is preparing to negotiate with the company over the issues that put us on the street. If the company is serious about negotiating over those issues then I believe we can come away from the table with a proposal that your committee can recommend.
I personally want to thank each of you for the support you have given to me and to each other. It is amazing how well you have conducted yourselves during this strike. We have approximately 70 who have disgraced themselves and their families by choosing to become a scab. They will have to live with their shame. But for the other 860 of us, we can hold our heads high! God bless each of you.
In Solidarity;
Mike Worrell
President Local 735
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17 comments:
mike we need to put pictures with these 70+ people who have turned against us so we know who these scabs are, i feel sorry for their families but not these low lifes.
I heard that!!! Well said Mike. These members are the strongest I have ever seen. We are willing to prove a point than sell ourselves out for greed. Times are tough but this will only make us stronger for challenges down the road. I am putting my fate in the hands of our committee because they have done a great job. I'm sure they will do what is best. If we go back for the same offer or even less , all of this is for nothing and we can't let that happen. NO TAKE AWAYS !!! Be strong 735.
As the wife of an member with many years at this plant, I want to say I am so tired of this process that I want to go somewhere and scream out the frustration that I hold inside. The ups and downs of the "I don't know" wears on mind and body. I understand that.
By our choice, we are, and have been for many years, a single income household. We have a young child at home and three little grandchildren who are looking forward to Christmas. Our child has outgrown most of her clothes since this strike began and she is tired of hearing why we can't go to McDonalds for her school night. We have a mortgage, though thankfully, no car payments. So I feel the same pain most everyone is feeling right now. I am being supportive and frugal and economizing everywhere I can.
The rooster that wakes me in the small hours of the night, what scares me the most, is that this strike will end in acceptance of a contract that is worse than what was turned down originally. That would mean all that has been given up in the last couple months was for NOTHING. I know this: if this strike ends without some gain that is when the money on that pointless ticker (like we need them to tell us) is truly and finally lost. The gains that will be made in the negotiation process are what is being earned right now.
The spineless, greedy people who cross are the ones who are the ones who are being defeated. Do not let the pressure and fear defeat you. The line is clearly defined and must be protected: NO TAKEAWAYS. Stand together and you will not be defeated.
Well I'm just sittin here trying to figure all this out. Bad proposal we didnt accept, next same proposal still wont accept. Truth of the matter is simple I had a fellow come in and talk to me a minute ago and he hit the nail on the head. He stated a child molester is evil and wicked with only one victim a scab is doing it to all our families. To the one who got the ticket this morning at the gate wages didn't help much today and when they can your ass you will come to the union not this time.
i agree with the first writer, I want pictures of the scabs that crossed the line because I dont want a dam thing to do with any of them when we go back,and I want to know who each and every one of them are.
I wanted to share an email I recieved,from congressman Jim Cooper...
Thanks for writing to me with your concerns about the current state
of negotiations between the employees and management of Vought
Industries. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.
I understand that many Vought workers are distressed by the terms
of the company's offer, especially as it affects their pensions. At a
time of economic uncertainty, I understand those concerns. It is my
hope that both sides can soon come to an agreement and that the
roughly 1000 workers will return to producing high quality products.
I appreciate your keeping me updated on this situation, and I will
continue to monitor it as it progresses. I look forward to hearing
from you again soon.
Sincerely,
Jim Cooper
Member of Congress
stay strong iam735
Well I hear that Dan T. and Maxie are wanting to starve us out. Go ahead Dan @ Maxie starve me out, you can't starve me out. Brothers and sisters G4 is 6 units behind, it is costing the company over 200,000$ for busing in scabs a month, over 200,000$ of tools have been stollen by scabs, the company doesn't want you to know how much $ that they have lost,and at least 5 scabs wants to stop scabing and get back in the union. Whats that the scabs don't like the companys contract. Stand strong we all want to get back to making money but some things are worth fighting for! To be honest times have been worst than this for me and I made it then. Great exam. was 911 no job, building a home, and a newborn. We made it then and we will make it know. LOCAL 735 is tough, thats just who we are!!!
WE STAND TOGETHER
WE FIGHT TOGETHER
WE GO BACK IN TOGETHER!!!!
ive found at least 3 jobs, im working two, and i dont understand someone crossing ,because they couldve found a job like i did,but i will have a hard time being freind with those whove cross, but i will not call them out of their name it is what it is,bless those who stayed strong and still are, but i have a problem with the name calling, than calling myself a child of god,you are what you respond to .
why is everyone being anonymous. i'm proud of who i am and what i stand for. i'm young in the union but i'm strong and proud.the friday after thanksgiving me and my union brother TAG were working our picket. he said it the way it should be "we walked out together and we'll go back together" i'm not goin back until the union tells me to do so. i'm blessed i'm surrounded by men and women that have done this before. the rules are simple= work your picket, don't believe anything you hear (to many rumors), don't spread anything you "might" have heard. lord have mercy on the scabs because they chose the wrong path. years from now they still will be remembered as someone you can't count on me and my fellow brothers stans strong.friday night a local electric union brought food to the picket. it was prime rib turkey and all the trimmings. they said if we need anything at all just let them know... you stand out there on the line doing your duty and you will get a blast from an air horn from a passing truck, and it's good but when someone gets out of thier car or truck and says i understand what your fighting for and you have my support.it feels good.stay strong and we'll have unity and the rewards that we are fighting for. peace and merry christmas TO ALL. pray for the scabs for they know not what they have done.
We have been out eleven weeks we will stay out eleven weeks more if that,s what it will take.There is No reason to meet with Vought; If Nothing has,nt change. I For One Truly don,t miss them that much,and would Prefer not to waste my time with Nonsense.
Going forward the company is going to have to look at opening schools and bringing in brand new people, people new to the industry and with low enough character to cross a picket line. Why? ..because those scabs they have now won't work for our normal wages. They'll be gone.. What little they learned will be gone. Vought gets to start the learning curve all over again. Crunch the numbers Vought on retraining for 900+ very specialized positions before Friday. By comparison we're not that bad of an alternative. We just dont like the Grinch stealing our pensions. We know ALL those jobs. We're the only group on this planet that knows ALL those jobs. Lets get back to "normal".
To anyone who is even considering crossing our picket all I have to say to you is, Stop and think about how your actions will affect all involved! You will never be trusted,nor respected by anyone! Your family name will be tarnished forever,and that's a long time... you will never be accepted as a standup kind of person. You will be forced to hang your head in shame in the pressance of all that know you bailed,and left your brothers,and sisters out in the cold to fight your battles for you,because you were to weak to do it for yourself! I do understand that alot of spouses are putting the pressure on right here at Christmas time,but for the spouses that dosen't understand you need to explain to them,that we are fighting for the gift that keeps on giving,just like our ansestors fought for us. We are not only fighting for ourselves,but our future brothers,and sisters also!! If everyone would stop scabbin,we probably would have already been back to work by now! Just something to think about before anyone makes a mistake that will alter their lives,and those of your children,their children,and their childrens,children. Don't make them live in shame!!
STAY STRONG,AND KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT, TOGETHER WE WILL PREVAIL! GOD BLESS US ALL!!
in response to big pirdys post:
If this electrical union wants to help and you know how to contact them, they might want to help with christmas for the kids. Just a thought you might want to pass on.
PUT UP A WALL OF SHAME AND PLACE ALL THE SCABS PICTURES ON THERE
If we cave, things will never be the same. All downhill from there.
You know what I mean?
I sincerely hope that both sides are going to this meeting with open minds. If not, then you might as well cancel it. A lot of people are hurting and to proud to admit it, so there is a lot resting on this meeting. I pray that God will lead both sides.
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