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Long Island Aerospace Workers Settle 10-Day Strike
A new four-year contract improving wages and holding the line on employees' health care costs ended a 10-day strike in February by IUE-CWA members at Kerns Manufacturing, a Long Island, N.Y., aerospace industry parts supplier.
The 120 members of the Kerns unit of Local 81485 walked off the job Feb. 1. The union sought annual raises of $1 an hour to bring workers closer to the national average for aerospace employees.
Ultimately, the union agreed to raises of 70 cents an hour in the first year of the contract for all workers, with subsequent annual increases of 35 cents an hour for highly skilled workers and 25 cents an hour for lower-skilled workers. Wages prior to the settlement averaged $12 to $13 an hour.
Health insurance payments for single workers remain the same under the contract, just $1 a week, and the weekly payment for married employees, which was $6, is being reduced
to $3.
Under the contract, the company also agreed to set up a new safety committee and participate in a program that lets workers use pre-tax dollars to pay for public transportation, among other improvements.
Workers ratified the contract by nearly a 3-to-1 margin on Feb. 10 and began returning to work immediately.
"The people worked hard, the company worked hard, there was a lot of effort on both sides," said local President Fred Myers.
"The workers didn't want to be on strike. They just wanted a fair shake."
Kerns is a privately owned company that has produced parts for engines for military and commercial planes for 47 years. Its workers come from 37 countries.
The 120 members of the Kerns unit of Local 81485 walked off the job Feb. 1. The union sought annual raises of $1 an hour to bring workers closer to the national average for aerospace employees.
Ultimately, the union agreed to raises of 70 cents an hour in the first year of the contract for all workers, with subsequent annual increases of 35 cents an hour for highly skilled workers and 25 cents an hour for lower-skilled workers. Wages prior to the settlement averaged $12 to $13 an hour.
Health insurance payments for single workers remain the same under the contract, just $1 a week, and the weekly payment for married employees, which was $6, is being reduced
to $3.
Under the contract, the company also agreed to set up a new safety committee and participate in a program that lets workers use pre-tax dollars to pay for public transportation, among other improvements.
Workers ratified the contract by nearly a 3-to-1 margin on Feb. 10 and began returning to work immediately.
"The people worked hard, the company worked hard, there was a lot of effort on both sides," said local President Fred Myers.
"The workers didn't want to be on strike. They just wanted a fair shake."
Kerns is a privately owned company that has produced parts for engines for military and commercial planes for 47 years. Its workers come from 37 countries.