Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 31, 1991 TAG: 9104010187
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: D-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
This is unfortunate. Disputes between labor and management are unfortunate in the best of economic times. This strike comes in the midst of a recession, when thousands of Virginians can't find jobs and hundreds of companies are struggling to stay afloat. And the job action continues because nobody's talking about ways to end it.
It's not clear precisely what issues need to be resolved. Indications are that health benefits are a major bone of contention keeping the two sides from reaching a settlement of the strike, the first at the 17-year-old factory.
The company says it's making no reductions in its health-care package for workers. Union members say the company is trying to force them to go to company-appointed health-care providers to save money - or to pay 20 percent of medical bills, which the company has been covering in full.
Volvo-GM suggests that the impasse could be broken if the union would agree to sit down during the next three years and discuss mutually beneficial ways to cut health-care costs. With employee health-insurance expenses rising rapidly, it's reasonable for Volvo-GM to seek the union's help in trying to gain control over the costs.
The workers have as much an interest as anyone in keeping costs down and the company competitive. Both sides can only be hurt, the longer the dispute continues. Meanwhile, economic pain extends to the community and region where the strike occurs. For the good of all concerned, negotiations should resume now.
by CNB