GE workers strike over increased health costs
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Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 14 Jan 2003 20:56
Approximately 17,500 General Electric employees started a strike today from 48 locations in 23 states against the company’s sudden spike in employee health care co-pays, according to a statement by The International Union of Electronic Workers/Communications Workers of America officials.
As the first national strike since 1969, the strike plan was approved by union leadership in October after GE announced it would increase workers’ health care costs January 1, 2003. Despite union calls to delay increases until national contract negotiations were settled, the cost increases took effect on the first of the year.
With the new contracts, the co-pay for the average employee will increase between $300 and $400 a year, and since 1999, GE’s health care costs have risen 45%, the company said.
"Rising health-care costs are a national issue," said Bill Conaty, GE's senior vice president for human resources. "It is difficult for businesses to stay globally competitive while sustaining the double-digit percentage increases that we have seen in recent years and expect for the foreseeable future.”
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