By Dave Lucas, WAMC Northeast Public Radio - Aug 15, 2016
Today marked the 99th day 41 workers were locked out of their jobs at Honeywell Aerospace in Green Island after they refused to accept dramatic increases to their health care costs and the elimination of their pensions. There was support and solidarity present at a noon picket line rally outside the Honeywell building.
The striking Green Island workers are members of United Auto Workers Local 1508. They produce braking systems and wheels for commercial and military aircraft. They've been replaced by strikebreakers hired to keep the factory running. Reverend Emily McNeil is acting director of the New York State Labor-Religion coalition: "We're here today for a #moralmonday rally in support of the workers who've been locked out from the Honeywell Aerospace plant here in Green Island since the beginning of May. And they've been locked out because they decided to reject an offer of a new contract that would have eliminated their pensions and really drastically increased their health care costs. And once they asked to keep negotiating, the company locked them out." ... more