After an 18-day strike, workers at two
nuclear power plants owned by Constellation Energy in Oswego, N.Y., defeated an
attack on their pensions by management. Constellation attempted to
divide older and younger employees by offering a substantial wage
increase in return for steep reductions in future retirement
benefits, but workers stood together and waged a successful struggle.
The final deal included minor cuts to
pensions for older workers and only a 2 percent annual wage increase,
but the fundamental right to retire with dignity was defended. There
was a high level of community support for the strike, and many joined
the Constellation workers’ picket line in solidarity.
Despite record profits on Wall Street,
corporations are taking advantage of the economic crisis to roll back
the gains won by labor over the years. As the victorious strike in
Oswego shows, the working class can defeat these attacks, laying the
basis for further struggles that can ultimately challenge the
capitalist system itself.
