BY STU SINGER
NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia - Workers on strike against Newport
News Shipbuilding were joined by other union members for a
support march and rally here April 28 in a cold rain.
A contingent of about 12 members of the International Association of Machinists from the Siemens Automotive plant in Newport News joined with local teachers and individual members of other unions in the march from the United Steelworkers of America Local 8888 union hall, past the shipyard's 50th Street gate and to the corporate office, where there was a rally. Around 700 people participated in the event. Picket lines remained up during the march and rally, and city and state cops put up a show of force at every gate to intimidate the strikers.
As the marchers went past the yard gates along Jefferson Avenue, a handful of scabs could be seen working in the yard near the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. A number of marchers yelled down at them. Many suggested the scabs' visibility near the gate was staged by the company for this march.
Strikers on the march pointed out that although there are some scabs working, some critical production departments have 100 percent union membership, and no one has crossed the picket line. Barron Cox, a nuclear fueler, said of that department, "only supervisors are working." W.T. Logan, a veteran of the 1979 strike for union recognition here, said, "I haven't had a raise in eight years. This strike is stronger than 20 years ago - there is more unity in the yard." Strikers are demanding a substantial pay raise, better pensions, and no increase in health insurance costs.
Other strikers reported they heard from supervisors that Navy personnel are doing increasing amounts of work normally done by the strikers.
This week the union began a striker assistance program, where workers can pick up free groceries and get help in paying bills from utilities to rent, mortgage, and car insurance payments. Cee McQuillen, who has worked in the yard 14 years, was enthusiastic about the assistance program kicking in because it will help workers stay on strike longer. "If a lot don't go back in, we can win," she said.
Stu Singer is a member of United Transportation Union Local 454 in Baltimore. Ellie García, a member of UTU Local 1370 in New York, and Stephen Williams, a member of Teamsters Local 723 in Newark, New Jersey, contributed to this article.