IUE-CWA Members and Other Workers at General Electric Rally Demanding the Company Prioritize Its Workers

Hundreds of IUE-CWA members and workers at General Electric from across the country converged outside the GE factory in Schenectady, N.Y., to demand the $70 billion dollar company reinvest in its American workforce and take immediate action to protect jobs, improve pay, and cut spiraling healthcare costs. The workers, from GE plants in Massachusetts, New York, Kansas, and Kentucky, also said they want guarantees that GE will continue to honor their union rights after the company splits into three new entities.

“GE must stop taking orders from Wall Street and start investing in the American workers who built this company in the first place. Regardless of whether GE is one company or three, we are demanding it put the industrial future of America first. GE must invest $5 billion over the next five years in American manufacturing and build offshore wind in states like New York and Massachusetts where skilled union workers are ready to power the green economy of the future,” said IUE-CWA National President Carl Kennebrew.

This latest mobilization is the largest multi-state action by GE workers in years, and comes as IUE-CWA members prepare to head into national contract negotiations with GE this spring. Workers want the company to stop offshoring and outsourcing jobs, and to instead invest in rebuilding its once robust domestic, union manufacturing base. Workers also want to know why GE is still spending billions on stock buybacks instead of prioritizing their opportunity to become the nation’s leader on green energy at home.

Other union members, community allies, and supporters also participated in the rally in solidarity with the GE workers.

Hundreds of IUE-CWA members and workers at General Electric from across the country rallied outside the GE factory in Schenectady, N.Y., demanding the company prioritize its workers over profits.