USW Questions Fiscal Commissioner David Cote as Tax Reformer

Honeywell CEO Keeps 230 Workers Locked Out Over Pension Cuts

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders of a five-month labor dispute at Honeywell Corp., were in the hearing room today of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to keep their eye on CEO David Cote, questioning his self interest lobbying as a commissioner who seeks to continue tax cuts for the rich, while threatening his employees jobs and retirement security.

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Darrell Lillie, USW Local 7-669 President representing 230 workers at the Honeywell uranium processing plant in Illinois, challenged Cote's accountability at the hearing with a statement, saying: "We think it's a joke that our CEO can serve on the Fiscal Commission while he has locked us out, hired hundreds of replacement workers to steal our jobs and now seeks to eliminate our pension plan."

The union leader challenged Cote's seat on the Commission: "We forewarn all American working families that this millionaire executive's agenda is questionable."  Cote also serves on the commission's "Tax Reform Working Group."

Lillie cited a report released Monday by U.S. Chamber Watch, a non-profit research group, that revealed Cote would personally stand to gain $1.2 million from the tax cut extension being promoted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  The report noted that Cote gave the keynote address at a Chamber October event called "Balancing Act: Federal Debt," after being introduced as a member of the Fiscal Commission.

The report was prepared with support by the tax policy group Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), who wrote, "Fiscal responsibility, job creation, and tax fairness all depend on Congress allowing the Bush tax cuts for the rich to expire at the end of this year as scheduled. According to figures from the U.S. Treasury, extending the Bush income tax cut for the richest 2 percent would cost $678 billion over a decade."

USW Local 7-669 President Darrell Lillie declared: "We're going to raise our voices with Honeywell's CEO to advocate for a contract offer that doesn't cut our retiree benefits and strip our members of the rights this union has fought for the last 50 years." The next scheduled negotiating session is Dec. 13-14 in Metropolis.

The locked out workers are the only ones in the U.S. who produce first stage commercial fuel for nuclear power plants operating in most of North America. For more information on the lockout:  www.usw7-669.com/.

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)