Reporting on the first day of negotiations, the first day customarily starts with both parties opening statements, run rules, and desired outcomes. Before starting the Company wanted to establish some ground rules.
Their conversation began with discussions of PowerPoint presentations of where we are and where they think we need to be.
Local Lodge President Chris Wiers stated “We’re not interested in any presentations and it was an insult to think that the negotiation committee doesn’t know where BIW is positioned competitively as well as in the eyes of our customer”.
The Union Negotiations committee is prepared and ready to go wishing to start immediately with no sideline distractions provided by the Company through the way of fruitless presentations.
If the Company still desired to show these presentations the committee would collectively stand up and walk out…. and that’s exactly what happened.
A member of senior management wanted to start with a lengthy presentation and was immediately stopped by our Local Lodge President standing up, united with the entire negotiation committee, three members of IAM District Lodge 4, and 1 IAM Grand Lodge representative, who proceeded to walk out.
We will stand up, we will stand strong, and we will stand united to negotiate a fair contract. We will not be persuaded by doom and gloom presentations and sniveling claims that BIW lacks flexibility.
Our membership swallowed that nonsense in 2015 and we have no tolerance for another serving.
In Solidarity, Local Lodge S6 Leadership