60 Fired in Labor Dispute at Universal

Universal Studio Tours has fired about 60 electricians and maintenance workers for refusing to cross picket lines set up by striking drivers and mechanics.

Joan Bullard, a spokeswoman for Universal Studio Tours, said the company Tuesday “terminated” workers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40 and Studio Utility Employees Local 724 because they violated a no-strike clause in their contracts by not showing up for work Tuesday at the 420-acre park.

But Timothy Dixon, assistant business manager of the electrical workers local, said the contract allows for individual union members to honor a picket line if the other union’s walkout is officially sanctioned by the leadership of both unions. That was the case in this instance, Dixon said.

He said the union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Universal Studio Tours with the National Labor Relations Board.

Universal has replaced the fired workers with managers, Bullard said.

“Our members are outraged,” Dixon said. “Some of them have worked for the company for 15 years, and without any warning, the company in many cases just called their homes and told their wives, ‘by the way, your husband is fired.’ ”

Pat Bray, business manager for the maintenance workers local, said he and his workers are upset by the firings.

The electricians and maintenance workers were honoring picket lines set up Monday by drivers and mechanics from Teamsters Local 399, Dixon said. The Teamsters walked off the job after contract negotiations broke down over a proposed wage freeze and continuance of a two-tier wage scale.

The electricians and maintenance workers were also in the midst of negotiating new contracts to replace those that expired July 31, Dixon said. Contract talks were not going well shortly before the workers were fired, he said, because Universal wanted unlimited flexibility in scheduling workers and elimination of the seniority system.

According to the expired contract, Universal could only schedule shifts beginning between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., Dixon said.

“Our position is, the reason they fired everybody is to get more leverage in negotiating the contract,” Dixon said. “They think we’ll make some concessions to get our jobs back, but it’s actually had the opposite effect of unifying us even more.”

No contract negotiations have been held since the workers were fired, he said.

Dixon said electrical workers probably would join pickets from the Teamsters Union this morning. Teamsters have been picketing at the entrances to the park on Lankershim and Cahuenga boulevards since Monday afternoon.