IBEW Local 733 (Pascagoula MS) to vote on a four ten-hour day work week

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/9933385.htm





4-day week on workers' ballot

By DAVID TORTORANO

Sat, Oct. 16, 2004

PASCAGOULA - Shipbuilding unions in Pascagoula will vote next week on whether to shift from a five- to a four-day work week. One union official expects the vote will be close.

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems is proposing a 10-hour day four days a week for production workers at the company's Mississippi operations in Pascagoula and Gulfport and the Louisiana operations in New Orleans and Tallulah, according to union officials.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers will vote Tuesday between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the union's Market Street office.

"This thing's going to be tight," said Chico McGill, business manager for IBEW Local 733. He said a survey showed 46 percent of the Pascagoula IBEW workers against the change, 50 percent in favor and 4 percent undecided.

McGill said there are 1,000 union members in IBEW Local 733, which represents about 1,200 workers.

Mike Crawley, president of the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council, said each of 13 locals belonging to MTC will schedule its own voting. As of Friday, none had been scheduled. MTC represents 7,500 workers.

The pilot program, if accepted, will be for six months beginning Nov. 8 or Nov. 15, said Crawley. The work week would begin Monday and end Thursday rather than Friday.

The shorter work week is also being proposed for workers at Gulfport, New Orleans and Tallulah, which all fall under Northrop Grumman's Avondale operations.

The New Orleans Metal Trades Council, which represents about 4,000 workers at the three yards, will also vote on a change. McGill said the New Orleans Metal Trades will meet Tuesday to determine when a vote will be held.

"I feel it will take place pretty quickly," he said.

Local Northrop Grumman officials refused to comment until the unions vote.


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David Tortorano can be reached at 896-2356 or at dtortorano@sunherald.com