GD Mission Systems Union Rejects Contract, Negotiations Continue

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Union negotiations will continue at General Dynamics Mission Systems after a proposal was rejected by workers earlier this month.

A couple of weeks ago, the IUE-CWA Local 81255 membership voted not to accept a package negotiated between IUE-CWA and General Dynamics representatives.  

Business agent James Mole reported that it was due to wages and benefits and that a strong majority of the membership voted "no."

Members are hoping to go back into negotiations later this week, as the union's five-year contract expires on Aug. 27.  

There is no strike planned.

"As long as we feel there is going to be communications with the company we can file an extension," Mole explained.

The union has been advocating for a package that members can be proud of and that they feel represents their work and dedication to a company as profitable as General Dynamics. 

GD's Mission Systems manufactures defense and space communications hardware.



The union's main priority is to do away with the company's two-tier pay system that results in about a $10 hourly difference depending on when someone was hired. Of the union's roughly 150 members, about 100 are tier-two employees and feel they should earn a more competitive wage for the precision, high-impact work they perform.

The pay system was approved in 2014. A two-tier wage structure is defined as having a group of employees who perform the same type of job receive lower pay.

Union President Andrew Burdick feels that the workers were "duped" in the process.

"We were told that if you we didn't take this contract, 'You've got rocks in your head,'" he said during an informational picket in June.

"The people that were going to get second tier, they had no faces, we didn't know those people yet.  Now we know them and a lot of us know each other's families and we're that close but when you've got somebody that's building what we build making that much less, there's some animosity."

Members have been picketing on Merrill Road near the workplace to inform the public of the goals for the upcoming contract. If things don't go well, they will continue to advocate for the union in this way.


Tags: union negotiations,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories