Bath Iron Works files NLRB complaint against striking union

Written by Nick Blenkey
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No more picket signs outside Bath Iron Works after nera 10-week lon strike ends

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) says that it today filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board against the IAM Local S6 union for violating the National Labor Relations Act by threatening union members who elect to return to work.

BIW says that in a communication to its membership, union leaders threatened so-called “scabs” who cross the picket line with heavy fines and loss of benefits. They also suggested physical violence, saying, “no man has a right to scab so long as there is a pool of water to drown his carcass in, or a rope long enough to hang his body with.”

“We are extremely disappointed that union leaders would make false and threatening statements to the very employees they are supposed to represent,” said BIW President Dirk Lesko. “We take these issues very seriously and will continue to ensure our employees’ rights are protected.”

Under the National Labor Relations Act, says BIW, employees who choose to resume working have the legal right to do so without being harassed or threatened with violence. Those who resign their union membership prior to crossing the picket line cannot be fined or required to pay full union dues, either during or after the strike.

Local S6 has been on strike against the shipbuilder since June 21.

You can read the Local S6 communication that is the cause of the NLRB complaint on the Local S6 website HERE

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