As about 65% of the Decatur votes rejected the deal, and two thirds were prepared to strike, might the result lead to a higher rate of staff moving on?
Yep, your seeing the problems. It's clear a majority didn't get the memo they have to learn to live within "competition" now.
Their competition runs on a culture that if you don't get along your swiftly moved out.
More interesting is the Cape vote; more questions there than answers. Do they see it, and understand the problems, or was the vote a fluke? Vandenberg doesn't have the launch rates the cape does. Is that reflected in the vote? So what's the factor here?
More interesting is the Cape vote; more questions there than answers. Do they see it, and understand the problems, or was the vote a fluke? Vandenberg doesn't have the launch rates the cape does. Is that reflected in the vote? So what's the factor here?
I think locallodge44 hit the nail on the head here. It had language about mandatory overtime and call ups that really only applied to the pads. They gave the pad workers something. The only bearing on Decatur was it further aggravated them, which (with the real issues of pension and healthcare) must have contributed to the rejection by local 44 at Decatur.
So who should take the lead? IMHO it should be ULA management, as they are or should be the ones responsible for sailing this ship. The changes required and preaching should come from the top down--not a side effect of a quibble with the unions.
If the union is required or expected to lead and preach such change, then you might as well admit the company is rudderless, management is incompetent, and close shop and send everyone home. I hope and expect that is not the case.
Companies can't sidestep their unions and take labor relations straight to the employees without ending up in front of the NLRB.
I not quite sure I understand what just happened. Is this going to help or hurt Vulcan? Is it going to help or hurt ULA in their competition with SpaceX?
I not quite sure I understand what just happened. Is this going to help or hurt Vulcan? Is it going to help or hurt ULA in their competition with SpaceX?
From a ULA perspective it's very helpful. Lowers long-term pension and healthcare costs and increases workforce flexibility in how they deal with call-ups, overtime, Part-Time Vs. Full-time and subcontractor flexibilities.
It's one important step among many others to begin transitioning into a leaner more efficient launch service provider that will be able to better compete as SpaceX becomes certified and ESA and Russia go through their launcher and infrastructure transitions.
They needed to deal with their workforce now as they begin to consolidate pads, reduce product lines and eventually operate a single launcher with new manufacturing and processes. So this is one step among many.
And if ULA does succeed over the next years with their master plan, they could increase their manifest and need to hire more people. And round and round she goes...
United Launch Alliance Union Workers Vote To Ratify ContractUnion leaders said in a letter to members, "The contract offer fell short of our expectations and what we wanted to bring back to our members. Therefore, your negotiating committee decided unanimously that we cannot recommend this contract."
(From Noozhawk: "The freshest news in Santa Barbara.")
These number don't speak well.
IAM Local 2786
CONTRACT VOTE RESULT:
66 accept, and 55 reject at Vandenberg
Cape is 177 accept 37 reject
Decatur is
136 accept 247 reject
257 to strike 127 not to strike
53% accepted
So the bottom line is
53% ratified
I do not know the motivations of the various individuals who voted. And I do understand that "correlation is not causation" ...
However, it is notable to me that those who rub shoulders the most with SpaceXers, and with those who work with SpaceXers, are at the Cape, and to a lesser extent, Vandenberg. Quite logically, it is those workers who are likely to be most knowledgeable about their competition in terms of "the other" company's pad workers, work culture, etc. And both of those groups ratified the contract proposal, while Decatur did not.
I am in no way saying that this is a primary factor, as there are no doubt myriad other factors that informed people might offer, and that would also be influential in the complex world of work environment, union contracts, etc.
I am however saying that I think first-hand knowledge of your competitor's competitiveness may be one factor that perhaps influenced the contract vote. These people are quite likely to better understand how much the status quo needs to change.
Companies can't sidestep their unions and take labor relations straight to the employees without ending up in front of the NLRB.
Not suggesting that. Suggesting that the strategic plan to restructure ULA to be more competitive, as Mr. Bruno has said is in the works, should be front and center. That is the horse that should be leading this cart.
I do understand that "correlation is not causation" ...
However, it is notable to me that those who rub shoulders the most with SpaceXers [...] ratified the contract proposal, while Decatur did not. [...] I think first-hand knowledge of your competitor's competitiveness may be one factor that perhaps influenced the contract vote.
I agree that's a factor to wonder about. Another is Decatur's proximity to MSFC in Huntsville. There might be a community there with whom the Decatur work force "rubs shoulders," who are also somewhat in denial about the realities of competition.