Union, Bell Helicopter Resume Talks Amid Strike
Union, Bell to meet Thursday
Thursday, Jul 9, 2009 | Updated 6:40 PM CDT
KXAS
UAW 218, Bell to meet Thursday.
Bell Helicopter and United Auto Workers Local 218 resumed negotiations for the second time since nearly 2,500 manufacturing workers went on strike nearly a month ago.
The Fort Worth-based company and union had several sessions Thursday and are scheduled to meet again Friday, a Bell Helicopter spokesman said.
Their meeting last week was the first since union members voted to go on strike June 14. That was after they rejected a three-year contract because of proposed increases in medical costs and plans to outsource janitors' work.
Since then, Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has brought in about 1,000 temporary workers.
But another union approved its three-year contract with Bell last month. The United Auto Workers Local 317 represents 340 office and clerical workers at Bell Helicopter plants in the Dallas and Fort Worth area.
