Bud Grebey Quotations

We're just very excited it's behind us. We're looking forward now and we're focused on the future.

We're hopeful that they approve the contract and come back to work making the world's best helicopters.

We want them back as quickly as possible. We've implemented a contingency plan and the implementation of our contingency is on track. We're performing necessary work at facilities throughout Connecticut and other locations so we can meet our commitments to the U.S. military and other customers.

Sikorsky and the union did have initial contact with each other to explore what opportunities there are to resume negotiations. We'll need some further evaluation of that contact today to see if an opportunity presents itself to get back to the table.

Our strong preference is to have our striking workers return to work.

We are aware that fleet readiness is the Navy's highest priority and we are supporting them accordingly. We're tracking spares down to the part number and delivering them in accordance with the Navy's needs.

We believe this is a good, fair and competitive offer. The rising cost of health care is something that's affecting all Americans. We're asking our union employees to shoulder more of the cost . . . to keep our factories in Connecticut and Florida competitive.

We are increasing production capacity every day. Should this strike continue, our contingency plan will bring our operations back to full production. The Navy has been fully briefed on our plan and is supportive of our efforts.

We have been contacted by hourly employees who have expressed a desire to return to work.

We're not operating at full production at this point. We are meeting commitments to the customers.

We are shifting resources. We are not at full capacity. We continue to talk to our customers. We will focus on the priorities that they give us.

With every passing day our production capacity is increasing.

We've offered our hourly-wage earners a health-care plan that's virtually identical to what we've provided to thousands of our salaried staff. It's a plan that gives them five options to choose health coverage that best meets their economic and medical needs.

We see no basis for resuming negotiations. We are operating under a contingency plan implemented after the union decided to strike.

Throughout the strike, all of our customers have continued to fly. We're delivering aircraft. We're delivering parts.

We are very much committed to the community of Stratford. This is our home and will remain our home.

There's no change to where we were on Friday.

They all will be back at work. Their jobs are here.

Operations continue and we're open for business. We hope that the Teamsters-represented workers will come back to work, but if the strike continues, our contingency plan will bring Sikorsky to full capacity.

The ball is in their court. We believe we have presented a fair contract. We are asking that the union reconsider their decision.

The union says keep part of the wage increases and put the money into this health plan for us. We think our plan accomplishes that and more so. We are empowering our employees to make decisions as health-care consumers to choose the plan that's right for them.