Cheney firm hires scabs
By Tony Topolski
SALISBURY, Md. – Dresser-Wayne, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halliburton Corporation, brought in 50 scabs Sept. 18 in an attempt to break a nine-week strike by 400 production workers at its plant here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Three vans arrived with the strikebreakers, accompanied by six goons, at 8 that morning.
"They’ve come to take people’s jobs," declared Jack Hughes, president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 354, which represents the strikers. "That’s about as low as you can get. That’s the Halliburton company doing this. This is their management style – threatening and intimidating people."
The workers here, who produce state-of-the-art gasoline pumps for service stations, walked off their jobs July 12 in a dispute over job security, early retirement and gain sharing. Dresser, as it’s known locally, is one of Salisbury’s largest employers, together with the non-union Frank Perdue poultry corporation. Halliburton Industries, employs 100,000 workers worldwide.
It’s claimed that Halliburton has had the Salisbury plant for sale for the past year. Production of a compact pumping unit has already been transferred to Brazil. Dresser’s corporate headquarters is in Austin, Texas where another plant produces the electronic components of the gasoline pumps
The company is using 150 management personnel in an attempt to meet its production schedule, Hughes said.
He pointed out that Republican Party vice presidential candidate Richard Cheney was still Halliburton’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) when the dispute erupted. When Cheney stepped aside to become George W. Bush’s running mate, Halliburton gave him a $20 million retirement package plus stock options for his five years as CEO.
Dresser-Wayne’s resort to strikebreaking "is a clear indication that if they are elected they will dictate to the people rather than take the high road of working together for the good of America," Hughes told the World. "Both George W. Bush and Cheney are oil people and we know they are for big business."
Bush and Cheney are outspoken supporters of union-busting measures on the books in the Lone Star State. "Texas is a right-to-work state with low unionization of the work force," Bush recently bragged.
By Tony Topolski
SALISBURY, Md. – Dresser-Wayne, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halliburton Corporation, brought in 50 scabs Sept. 18 in an attempt to break a nine-week strike by 400 production workers at its plant here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Three vans arrived with the strikebreakers, accompanied by six goons, at 8 that morning.
"They’ve come to take people’s jobs," declared Jack Hughes, president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 354, which represents the strikers. "That’s about as low as you can get. That’s the Halliburton company doing this. This is their management style – threatening and intimidating people."
The workers here, who produce state-of-the-art gasoline pumps for service stations, walked off their jobs July 12 in a dispute over job security, early retirement and gain sharing. Dresser, as it’s known locally, is one of Salisbury’s largest employers, together with the non-union Frank Perdue poultry corporation. Halliburton Industries, employs 100,000 workers worldwide.
It’s claimed that Halliburton has had the Salisbury plant for sale for the past year. Production of a compact pumping unit has already been transferred to Brazil. Dresser’s corporate headquarters is in Austin, Texas where another plant produces the electronic components of the gasoline pumps
The company is using 150 management personnel in an attempt to meet its production schedule, Hughes said.
He pointed out that Republican Party vice presidential candidate Richard Cheney was still Halliburton’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) when the dispute erupted. When Cheney stepped aside to become George W. Bush’s running mate, Halliburton gave him a $20 million retirement package plus stock options for his five years as CEO.
Dresser-Wayne’s resort to strikebreaking "is a clear indication that if they are elected they will dictate to the people rather than take the high road of working together for the good of America," Hughes told the World. "Both George W. Bush and Cheney are oil people and we know they are for big business."
Bush and Cheney are outspoken supporters of union-busting measures on the books in the Lone Star State. "Texas is a right-to-work state with low unionization of the work force," Bush recently bragged.
