Thursday, April 27, 2006 Berkeley Honda Strike Ends, Giant Rat Wins A giant 12-foot rat, a highly-visible symbol against corporate greed, came down at Berkley Honda in Berkley, California after striking auto technicians of IAM Local 1546 won a new contract and voted by a wide margin to approve it. "This victory is a prime example of what happens when determined workers, a community that cares about how businesses conduct themselves in their backyards, and experienced and dedicated IAM Business Representatives like Don Crosatto get together,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson. The strike began last June, after the dealership formally known as Jim Doten Honda was sold and new owners required employees to reapply for their jobs. While most were rehired, seven with the most seniority, including the shop steward at the dealership, were not. The new owners also sought to scrap the employees’ defined benefit pension plan. Defined benefit pension plans are under attack across the country, with healthy and ailing companies seeking to abandon long standing pension commitments. The technicians at Berkley Honda will now have a secure, defined benefit pension under the fully-funded IAM National Pension Plan.
IAM Strengthens Ties With Swedish UnionThe IAM and Sweden’s IF Metall are intensifying an already strong relationship. Meetings this week between IF Metall President Stefan Löfven and IP Tom Buffenbarger covered a wide range of topics, including efforts to cooperate even more closely with respect to organizing and collective bargaining.
Gas Prices Fueling Voter AngerAs gas prices continue to rise and President Bush’s approval rating continues to fall, a new poll shows support for the President dropping to an all-time low. Only 32 percent of Americans now approve of his job performance. The CNN poll released earlier this week shows a strong parallel between Bush’s dismal approval rating and a nationwide concern about gas prices and oil company profits, with 69 percent of respondents saying the recent increases in gas prices have caused them hardships. The average price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped nearly twenty-five cents in the past two weeks to $2.91, according to a Lundberg Survey. Click here to view a map showing gas prices nationwide. The nationwide outrage over gas prices is expected to spill into November’s midterm elections, sending many Republican leaders scrambling to save face. President Bush called for an inquiry into the climbing gas prices on Tuesday, but little is expected from an inquiry requested by an oil millionaire.
New Contract for Machinists at InvarIAM members of Local 1788 in Batwa, Ontario, Canada won better wages, improved contract language and enhanced pension benefits in a new four-year agreement with Invar Manufacturing. The 370 members ratified the agreement by an 85 percent margin. Highlights of the agreement include enhanced contract language and wage increases of three per cent in each of the first three years and 3.5 per cent in the fourth year. Contributions to the IAM joint union-management pension plan include an additional one-half per cent in the first year, raising the contribution to $1.19/hr per employee and one-half per cent in the third year, bringing the contribution to $1.27/hr per employee. Invar is the second largest contributor to the plan in terms of monetary value. “These are significant gains for our members especially in the current climate of the automotive sector,” said GLR Bill Shipman. Invar, located north of Trenton, manufactures transmission and chassis parts for the North American auto industry.
Northwest Members Take Contract Fight to the PublicNorthwest Airlines members from LL 1833 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and LL 1781 in San Francisco, California staged airport informational picketing to draw attention to the impending May 15 court date when the airline will ask a bankruptcy judge to terminate contracts with its IAM-represented Equipment Service Employees and Flight Simulator Technicians. Northwest recently reported a staggering $1.2 billion fourth quarter net loss, bringing the full year loss for 2005 to $2.6 billion. “The sacrifice being asked from all employees is enormous, but no airline was saved through employee concessions alone,” said District 143 President Bobby DePace.
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