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Raytheon negotiating contract

The talks affect about 400 unionized workers in Pinellas County.

By Kris Hundley, Times Staff Writer
Published March 22, 2007

Representatives of about 400 unionized workers at Raytheon's Pinellas County operations this week began negotiating with company officials for a new contract.

Raytheon, which has about 1,700 workers in Largo and St. Petersburg, declined to comment on the talks toward replacing an agreement that expires April 15. But Dave Ware, a negotiator with United Auto Workers Local 298, said the company has asked for a number of concessions.

"Raytheon wants to increase the cost of benefits to workers," said Ware, whose group represents production and maintenance employees. "And they want more flexibility in job assignments. The company is also going after eliminating seniority as a consideration when they make a reduction in work force. They contend they'll be fair and equitable, but we haven't found them fair and equitable."

The negotiations at Raytheon's local Network Centric Systems come about two months after the giant defense contractor ended a 10-week strike at its plant in Tucson, Ariz. About 1,900 hourly workers at Raytheon's missile unit, members of the International Association of Machinists Local 933, returned to work after the company threatened to bring in replacements. Their new contract included 3 percent raises over three years and a $1,000 bonus per worker, but employees could pay more for health care.

Ware said the Tucson strike sent a message to Raytheon, which had 2006 earnings of $1.3-billion.

"You can't make profits on the backs of workers," he said. "Just because you make a proposal doesn't mean we have to take it."

Kris Hundley can be reached at 727 892-2996 or hundley@sptimes.com.

[Last modified March 21, 2007, 22:25:54]