Read this article in:
19 July, 2001Judge orders shipyard company to reinstate 22 workers who were illegally dismissed.
USA: In what is a huge victory for the workers at Avondale Shipyard, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued an order to the company to rehire 22 workers who were illegally fired between 1994-1997 because they had tried to organise the shipyard.
The NLRB's judge also ordered the New Orleans shipyard to compensate for lost pay, benefits and seniority all workers who were illegally suspended or disciplined and to repay not only $5.4 million in related legal fees it billed to the U.S. Navy but also the NLRB's legal costs and those of the New Orleans Metal Trades Council, which lodged the first unfair labour practice complaint against Avondale in 1994.
In 1999, the anti-union company was sold to Litton Industries, which was in turn taken over in April 2001 by the present owner, defence contractor Northrop Grumman. The company is considering to appeal the NLRB decision.
The struggle for trade union rights at Avondale lasted for eight years. After finally winning union recognition at the shipyard in August 1999, the AFL-CIO affiliated New Orleans Metal Trades Council and management signed the first 45-month collective agreement covering 1,500 union members in December 2000.
The NLRB's judge also ordered the New Orleans shipyard to compensate for lost pay, benefits and seniority all workers who were illegally suspended or disciplined and to repay not only $5.4 million in related legal fees it billed to the U.S. Navy but also the NLRB's legal costs and those of the New Orleans Metal Trades Council, which lodged the first unfair labour practice complaint against Avondale in 1994.
In 1999, the anti-union company was sold to Litton Industries, which was in turn taken over in April 2001 by the present owner, defence contractor Northrop Grumman. The company is considering to appeal the NLRB decision.
The struggle for trade union rights at Avondale lasted for eight years. After finally winning union recognition at the shipyard in August 1999, the AFL-CIO affiliated New Orleans Metal Trades Council and management signed the first 45-month collective agreement covering 1,500 union members in December 2000.