Military Strikebreaking Makes A Come-back

Tweet "The US Army is considering measures to force striking workers back to their jobs at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber plant in Kansas in the face of a looming shortage of tyres for Humvee trucks and other military equipment used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"A strike involving 17,000 members of the United Steelworkers union has crippled 16 Goodyear plants in the US and Canada since October 5.

"The main issues in dispute are the company's plans to close a unionised plant in Texas, and a proposal for workers to shoulder future increases in healthcare costs.

"An army spokeswoman said on Friday that 'there's not a shortage right now but there possibly will be one in the future'.

"According to Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House of Representatives armed services committee, the strike has cut output of Humvee tyres by about 35 per cent.

"Mr Hunter said the army was exploring a possible injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act to force the 200 Kansas workers back to their jobs.

"He proposed that they return under their current terms of employment, on the understanding that any settlement would be extended to them.

"Talks aimed at ending the strike will resume on Monday, the union said last night.

"Mr Hunter said that the army had stopped supplying tyres to units not related to the Central Command, which is responsible for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tyres were also not being provided to army repair depots.

"While concern has centred on the Humvees, tyres are also critical to aircraft and other military equipment.

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FOR A REMINDER OF WHEN THE ARMY GOT INTO STRIKEBREAKING BEFORE, LOOK HERE: http://www.neravt.com/left/invade.htm Linda

The article above was found on Cursor.org