Machinist union local 776 placed
pickets in front of the Highway 157 plant
on October 5th, seeking more
money and better benefits from the
company, which produces aircraft landing
gear primarily for the F-16
being built by General Dynamics.
This morning, two machinist union members
from GE agreed to walk the picket line
while the Blasco picketers met to vote on
a contract settlement.
Forty five minutes later, union
negotiating team member Henry Ponder
arrived with word the strike had been
settled only to find police investigating
a reported shooting incident.
Oh, well, we were walking the picket line
and about or five minutes later we got
shot at right here, like bloaters down.
In fact, we didn't know which one of us
was hit.
Did you see where the shot came from?
Not no, no, no.
We looked real hard, but we just heard it
and didn't kind of, you know, got down to
try to get some cover here.
Union officials claim this is the third
time picketers have been fired on.
There have been no injuries.
Ponder's said union members voted this
morning to accept the contract
settlement, which calls for a six percent
pay hike the first year and three percent
for each of the remaining two years.
The strike has been several years.
When will the union workers be
returning to work at
Clavel? One Monday.
Did the union get what they wanted?
Not everything, no.
Are you satisfied with the contract?
Evidently we were with bought it by large
majority, so we're pretty well
satisfied with the committee recommended
it and the membership. Mauti workers
will report that their regular shifts
beginning Monday.
Bill Hix, The Texas News.