The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.30           September 2, 1996 
 
 
NASSCO Strikers Rally  

BY LYN DUFF
SAN DIEGO, California - Some 100 workers marked the fourth week of a strike against NASSCO, the National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., with a spirited rally and picket line on August 10. Participants at the demonstration chanted, "What do we want? A contract! When do we want it? Now!" Nearly 4,000 members of the seven unions in the plant - including ironworkers, electricians, carpenters, the teamsters, and the machinists - went on strike July 17, after four years of rollbacks, including a three-year wage freeze for some and a wage cut ranging from $2 to $5.50 for others.

The NASSCO workers have been without a contract since 1992, while management has attempted to destroy all seven unions since then and implement an open shop. The bosses have eliminated cost-of-living raises, seniority, and other benefits. On the job injuries have increased two- fold, to an average of 30 a day.

NASSCO is a diverse shop. Immigrants from all over the world work there. Management has tried to whip up anti-immigrant prejudice, saying that they could always go "south of the border" to find workers.

"It's important for us to unite here with the workers in Mexico," said one 58-year-old welder, who also has participated in some of the recent immigrant rights marches in San Diego. "We can't let the focus of our strike be getting what's good for us only; we have to fight for all of the working class."

One of the big battles in this strike has been over the issue of reclassifying jobs. Under past work rules sheetmetal workers didn't weld and welders didn't do other jobs. Now management wants to reclassify all the jobs and combine some, to prepare for a mass layoff.

Murry Bullard, a 35-year-old electrician, said, "We were informed the day of strike that our benefits were being cut. Some people, they got kids who are sick, they had to cross the picket line.... I think this strike is significant. It's going to change the thinking about the union and their future. "  
 
 
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