Jim Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has written to Balfour Beatty chief executive Ian Tyler, saying: "We have a long and shared history of solidarity with Unite and we are committed to provide the full backing of the Teamsters for the duration of the dispute.
"If this dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of my colleagues in the UK we will have no option but to demonstrate our support. I am requesting in the strongest terms that you now personally intervene in this dispute and demand that the management of BBES change course."
Members of the Teamsters union alongside members from other American unions plan to demonstrate outside the head office of Balfour Beatty's American subsidiary, Parsons Brinckerhoff, in New York today (Wednesday 15 February).
Balfour Beatty Engineering Services is one of seven contractors that is introducing a new Building Engineering Services National Agreement (Besna), drawn up by the Heating & Ventilation Contractors Association (HVCA), to replace long standing Joint Industry Boards (JIBs).
Unite says that the new contracts represent a pay cut of up to 30% for its members. The HVCA disagrees and says that the new contracts simply reflect changes in the industry over the past 40 years.
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