Striking union levels spying charges against Raytheon

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is charging Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Ariz., with spying on union officials and illegally threatening employees during recent contract negotiations. The IAM filed the Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on behalf of members of IAM Local 933 currently on strike at Raytheon's Tucson facility.

"Raytheon used its security personnel to monitor activities of the union's bargaining committee, and illegally threatened its own employees with discharge if they honored a lawful picket line," said IAM International president Tom Buffenbarger. "Raytheon deserves to be severely sanctioned for this outrageous act of domestic spying against U.S. workers and their union representatives."

The charges (http://www.goiam.org/ULP.pdf) filed by the IAM claim Raytheon used minivans and security personnel to monitor employees engaged in lawful union activities and positioned security agents beneath a conference room for the purpose of spying on the union's negotiating committee. A second charge claims Raytheon threatened probationary employees with discharge if they honored the union's picket lines.

The union says use of surveillance to monitor union activities or to intimidate employees from engaging in union activities is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that an employer violates federal law even by creating the appearance of surveillance of union activities. In addition, probationary employees are entitled to the same protection under the NLRA as permanent employees.

Members of Local 933 voted to authorize a strike at Raytheon's Arizona facility after rejecting a contract offer from the company that increased health care costs and sought to alter the employees' pension plan.