By Dan Verbeck
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-989506.mp3
Kansas City, MO. – Pickets are out, union machinists went on strike today at the Honeywell Plant on Bannister Road in southeast Kansas City. Neither side will agree on reasons for the labor action.
Members of local 778 of the International Association of Machinists walked out after a weekend vote on a contract proposal from the company. Union sources say the strike vote followed rejection of the proposal.
The last contract ratified in 2008 expired this month. With some 800 members, the union represents about a quarter of the plant's working population.
The Machinists Union claims the company has engaged in unfair labor practices in the bargaining. The company counters that the allegation is untrue and that it will seek services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to get talks back on track.
Neither company spokesperson Lina Cook nor Local 778 representative Steve Nickel would address specific sticking points.
As a practical matter, the federal mediation service has only an advisory role in any labor dispute and cannot dictate.
The federal government owns the plant and Honeywell runs it under contract. Trigger mechanisms for nuclear weapons are made at the plant.