April Archive

Fri, 04/01/2011 - 12:00am

Injury #4 of the shutdown and still counting!

Thu, 04/07/2011 - 9:23pm

The company is well into the second week of annual shutdown. Their injury list is getting to be nearly as long as the scab list, itself. Last week an ambulance transported a scab to the hospital. Of course, Honeywell continues to claim that there have been no injuries. This week, there have already been three additional injuries, which the plant was required to report to the NRC. The first occurred on April 4^thand involved a scab receiving a Hydrofluoric Acid (H.F.) burn. Honeywell reported to the NRC that the scab’s coveralls and boots were also heavily contaminated with H.F. The second incident occurred the very next day, on the 5^th, and involved a scab receiving Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) burns. Honeywell also reported that incident to the NRC. The third injury was reported on the 6^th. The company told the NRC that a Senior Process Engineer received an eye injury after closing a valve in the feeds material building with a wrench. Either the company is lying to the NRC about these injuries, or they are lying to everyone else when they say that they have had none. What do you think?

Attention Honeywell: The Fight Is Far From Over

Fri, 04/15/2011 - 1:39pm

With negotiations picking back up next week, it is a good time to remind everyone that USW Local 7-669 is a long way from stopping the fight over the unnecessary and immoral lockout of 228 families of Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky. Although, as with every negotiating session, we have 100% confidence and support in our negotiating team, we hope Honeywell decides to bargain in good faith and present us with a fair contract, but do not expect them to.

For that reason, along with many others, we are continuing to step up our efforts. We have political actions in process, and are spreading the message to anyone doing business with Honeywell, or considering doing business with Honeywell, that they are not only union busters, but bad corporate citizens, and a growing enemy of the environment.

There are rumors around town that Chuck Short has claimed that we cost him his bid for Metropolis City Council. While it is a complement that we would have that much influence, we did not indorse nor denounce anyone in the latest election. We wish all newly elected, and returning council members the best, and hope to see the promised resolution soon.

On another note, OSHA was back in the plant this week and full of tough questions. OSHA is now seeing what we have been fighting for years, the lack of management to LISTEN to the people doing the work, and take preventative, corrective actions that actually make a difference. This is actually one of the things that has not changed since the lockout.

Where Is All This Money Coming From?

Mon, 04/18/2011 - 9:44pm

In the "Community Bulletin" sent out by Honeywell in this weeks paper, the company touts the new Emergency Response Team trailer recently purchased. While the union supports any efforts to improve plant safety, the question begs to be asked. Where is all the money coming from? By company reports, the plant is losing money, and a lot of it, yet, continues to spend money. We look forward to negotiating tomorrow for a contract fair to our members, and helping Honeywell in putting all the money they are spending to good use (getting the most qualified, safest uranium converters in the country back to work).

NEGOTIATIONS RESUME 4/19/2011

Tue, 04/19/2011 - 6:06pm

Today we were back at the table with Honeywell. There was a tentative agreement made on job bidding and movement. There were discussions about seniority, which according the the company's web site was agreed upon during the last sessions. Talks today moved very slowly, and while we remain committed to stay at the table as long as it takes to get an agreement, if Honeywell would get serious about bargaining IN GOOD FAITH, this could be wrapped up in a day.

We look forward to returning to the table tomorrow and standing strong in our beliefs for justice. There will be details available to members to all T/A's at this Thursday's meeting.

Oops they did it again......

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 3:51am

Many of you probably heard the Honeywell release siren today. Don't worry, it was only a test..., but wait, isn't that supposed to happen at the first of the month? The public will probably never be told the truth. Just like Honeywell's website, the truth is often omitted from what they say. Some people call that lying. Inside the plant, the shutdown continues, at the speed of smell..... Phil McIntosh is making even more friends and has now made a name for himself among the scabs. His company Farris, McIntosh, & Tremper (FMT Engineering) has told the company that they can provide even more scab labor, essentially replacing all the Shaw scabs. In an ironic twist, one scab this week was overheard saying "I can't believe those guys would take our jobs away for less money". It's called scabbing.

Is that a tan Dave, or are you just pissed to see us?

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 3:46pm

Yesterday, members of our local union along with approximately 20 other union members from other Honeywell locations attended the annual shareholder's meeting at Honeywell Headquarters in Morristown, NJ. Honeywell was not happy about our attendance and it was apparent almost immediately. A representative from corporate met us at the gate to inform us that they thought allowing only 3 of us in was sufficient. We let them know that we would ALL attend the meeting whether they made it hard or easy. The negotiators that keep getting sent to Metropolis must have been taught their ways by the characters that we were talking to because they actually thought they were going to negotiate with us about how many people we could send into the meeting. We got all of our representatives in. Read about the meeting here. Democracy Now also ran a great story about our struggle.