Navy metal workers rally against privatizing

[unhappycamper]

Navy metal workers rally against privatizing
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 25, 2009 17:53:54 EST

More than 200 metal workers for the Navy in Hampton Roads, Va., rallied Wednesday over a possible move to replace them with contracted labor. They gathered outside Naval Station Norfolk, according to Ron Ault, national president of Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.

He said the workers are employed by Naval Facilities Engineering Command and work on military facilities throughout the area. He said a cost analysis to privatize the facilities maintenance service could force them out of work.

Ault said the union’s Metal Trades Department represents 100,000 metal workers, of which 42,000 are federal employees. Of them, 1,100 are at the command in Hampton Roads. For some reason, they’ve have been singled out for the study, Ault said.

“‘Why?’ is the question,” he said. “This doesn’t pass the smell test. There has to be a reason. I just can’t figure it out.”

Workers at the Hampton Roads command work on pierside steam lines, ventilation, plumbing and piping.


Article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/02/navy_navfacprotest_022509w/%2e