AP Newsbreak: Sikorsky says it will move some operations out of state during strike

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, AP Business writer, The Associated Press 03/09/2006

Sikorsky Aircraft has hired temporary workers and will move some operations out of state during a strike by nearly 3,600 Teamsters that is in its third week, a company spokesman told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Bud Grebey, a spokesman for the Stratford-based helicopter-maker, would not say where the company would move operations. Sikorsky has other facilities in New York, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

Workers have been on strike since Feb. 20 over proposed increases to employees' health insurance contributions in the company's contract offer. It is the first strike at the company since 1963.

"We have not hired permanent replacement workers, but the contingency plan is prepared to do so should we get to that point," Grebey said.

Harvey Jackson, president of Teamsters local 1150, said the company needs the striking workers to build the helicopters. He said workers are not worried about replacement workers and are confident the state's congressional delegation would not tolerate a relocation of work out of state.

Sikorsky's announcement came on the same day that Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa led a rally of striking workers in Stratford.

Sikorsky proposed doubling workers' contributions to their health insurance in the first year of a three-year deal and increasing them another 15 percent over the next two years.

Under the expired contract, the workers paid about $26 per week for family coverage, both sides said.

The striking workers make about $65,000 annually with overtime and were offered a $2,000 ratification bonus, 3.5 percent annual pay raises and pension improvements. The company agreed to delay implementing the health care changes until next year.

Sikorsky is a unit of United Technologies Corp.

Read original article by John Christoffersen, Associated Press