Breaking: Strike?!

You have got to be kidding me. Or, well, not really, but… yeah. Looked like it was all settled, but all of a sudden…

“I am distressed to learn that on this point the company is stuck on stupid,” says Stu Bykofky.

The sticking point is the pension fund, and… ugh, back to the Guild:

The Guild negotiating team told the Company it would go into a multi-employer pension fund, but it would not relinquish its place in the decision making process.

Under the Guild plan, the pension trustees – composed of an equal number of representatives from the Company and the union – would seek a suitable multi-employer pension fund to merge into. If the sides could not agree on a fund, they would go into arbitration.

It is essential for both sides to be involved, to keep the process moving quickly and to protect OUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS.

“This is a damn sad situation,” said Guild President Henry J. Holcomb. “The Company’s position threatens to undo all of the good work we have done and put us on strike.”

Because this is the most serious of our strike issues, members should please take home their personal items from work and await instructions on other actions.

More on this tomorrow. And, of course, Fox 29 just reported a deal was near. And, also, lots and lots more info from Steve Volk over at The Daily Strike.

Update: Oh, yeah, and the Phillies got Freddy Garcia for Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez.