Locked-Out Workers to Embark on Journey for Justice
 |
Amy Masciola, a union campaign consultant, sends us this.
More than six months ago, American Crystal Sugar Co. locked out more than 1,300 sugar beet workers in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota. Two months ago, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. locked out more than 1,000 workers in Findlay, Ohio. Last week, Caterpillar announced it would shut down a plant in Ontario, just over one month after locking out 500 workers. Rio Tinto Alcan locked out 750 workers in Quebec Jan. 1. HealthBridge locked out 800 nursing home workers in Connecticut in December. As Laura Clawson at the Daily Kos notes, “For evidence of a war on workers, look no further than the rise of the lockout.”
Steven Greenhouse of The New York Times wrote recently that the number of strikes has dropped precipitously in the past two decades, while lockouts now “represent a record percentage of the nation’s work stoppages.” Greenhouse quotes professor Gary Chaison of Clark University, who says:
This is a sign of increased employer militancy. Lockouts were once so rare they were almost unheard of. Now, not only are employers increasingly on the offensive and trying to call the shots in bargaining, but they’re backing that up with action—in the form of lockouts.
Unions and our allies are fighting back against this war on workers. Beginning Feb. 22, locked-out workers from American Crystal Sugar Co. and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. will start a 1,000-mile journey across America’s heartland. They will visit six states in six days, taking part in rallies, fundraisers and other actions with local union members and allies. Locked-out workers will take their message to supporters—and call out the perpetrators of the war on workers. Read the rest of this entry »
Rep. Ellison Calls for End of Crystal Sugar Lockout
|
|
Wednesday marked the six-month anniversary of America Crystal Sugar Co.’s lockout of 1,300 workers and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) told the U.S. House: “It’s time for the company to negotiate.”
In a speech on the House floor, Ellison said the workers, members of Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 167G at plant sin Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa, have been
denied the basic and most fundamental right to work and support their families. These workers have gone to bat for the company. These workers stood shoulder to should with the company to fight for a better sugar program in the farm bill just because that’s how dedicated they. What have they got in return? They’ve gotten locked out. They are not on strike. They are locked out because they refuse to accept an unfair take it or leave contract. They have been locked even though they have agreed to a no-strike guarantee. It’s wrong, these 1,300 folks deserve better from this company. Read the rest of this entry »
Hostess Bankruptcy Filing Hits 5,000 BCTGM Members
Hostess Brands, the company that has brought us such iconically American snacks as Twinkies, yesterday filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time since 2004. But the move does more than affect our universal sweet tooth—it has vast repercussions for some 5,000 workers, members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM).
BCTGM, which represents workers in 34 production facilities throughout the United States, has been working with Hostess for months to identify a mutually beneficial solution that would address the company’s financial difficulties. But according to BCTGM, the company has never offered a legitimate proposal that could be taken to the membership for consideration.
Says BCTGM President Frank Hurt:
The Community Costs of American Crystal Sugar Lockout to Date: $30.5 Million
|
|
Amy Masciola, communications consultant with the Minnesota AFL-CIO, sends us this.
When a company locks out workers and won’t negotiate a contract, the entire community suffers a massive economic loss—as a new report on the economic effects of American Crystal Sugar Co.’s lockout of 1,300 workers in the upper Midwest details.
According to “A Region on the Ropes,” even as the company reported record profits during its annual meeting last week, families of locked-out workers are losing $1,000 to $2,300 per month, and the local economy of the Red River Valley has had direct losses of nearly $12 million during the four months of the lockout. The report, issued by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM), states:
Instead of continuing negotiations with its employees, Crystal Sugar has made increasing profits and compensation for its executives the priority. The Company has hired inexperienced, non-union contract workers and is turning a blind eye to the wider economic fallout, which to date totals an estimated $30.5 million.
Crystal Sugar CEO Likens Contract to Cancer
Relations between management and the 1,300 locked-out workers at American Crystal Sugar Co. reached a new low this week, as recordings were made public of company CEO David Berg likening the workers and their contract to a cancerous tumor.
Speaking to shareholders in North Dakota on Nov. 7, Berg told the story of a friend who had a massive cancerous tumor removed. “He was sick for a long time,” said Berg.
We can’t let a labor contract make us sick forever and ever and ever. We have to treat the disease and that’s what we’re doing here.
Berg later repeated his cancer analogy, saying,
At some point that tumor’s got to come out. That’s what we’re doing.
Listen to some of Berg’s comments here.
Workers responded to Berg’s remarks with outrage. Sarah Gust, a 40-year employee at American Crystal, remarked, Read the rest of this entry »
Steelworkers Ratify New Contract, End 11-Month Lockout—and More Bargaining News
Some 750 United Steelworkers (USW) members ratified a new contract, ending an 11-month lockout, and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,400 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
USW, U.S. Steel: In Canada, members of USW Local 1005 ratified a new contract, ending an 11-month lockout by U.S. Steel. The pact, covering some 750 workers, will run until Oct. 15, 2014.
UAW Members Ratify Pact with Oshkosh—and More Bargaining News
UAW members in Wisconsin ratify a new contract with Oshkosh Corp., and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,400 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
UAW, Oshkosh Corp.: Members of UAW Local 578 voted to ratify a new five-year deal with Oshkosh Corp. in Oshkosh, Wis. The 3,100 workers approved the agreement, following two earlier rejections, after the company dropped proposals that would have allowed it to hire temporary workers.
AFT, Philadelphia School District: Teachers at Philadelphia’s public schools approved a one-year contract extension with the school district. The contract now runs through August 2013 and covers 15,000 members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (AFT).
AFSCME, University of California: Patient care workers and service workers at University of California campuses ratified new contracts that will provide wage increases for some 20,000 AFSCME members. The patient care contract runs until Sept. 30, 2012, while the service contract expires Jan. 31, 2013.
Ship Pilots, Machinists, Deputy Sheriffs, Bakers and Communication Techs Join AFL-CIO Unions
 |
The 250 members of the Panama Canal Pilots Union recently voted to affiliate with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). The pilots guide the ships that transit the historic canal. Says ILWU President Robert McEllrath:
Both unions will benefit from this new affiliation that will provide each with more solidarity and support. With more of our employers now operating around the globe this kind of strategic alliance makes a lot of sense.
In Kent, Wash., the 165 workers at Hytek Finishes voted to join the Machinists (IAM) after a four-month battle. The workers specialize in various types of metal finishing and coating for aerospace manufacturers, including the Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter.
Help Locked-Out American Crystal Families
AFL-CIO Community Services Director Will Fischer sends us this report:
The 1,300 workers at American Crystal Sugar have been locked-out for seven weeks. Management locked out the employees, members of the Bakery, Confectionery Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) on Aug. 1, after they rejected the company’s final offer by a more than nine-to-one margin.
Despite being out nearly two months and with cold weather on its way, the workers remain strong and committed to winning a fair contract.
American Crystal reportedly has hired replacement workers at its seven plants in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa. Contract negotiations to replace a seven-year contract began in May. The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against American Crystal, claiming the company has not bargained in good faith.
You can help our brothers and sisters at American Crystal and their families win this fight by sending a check payable to: BCTGM Lockout Hardship Fund, BCTGM Local 167G, 100 North 3rd Street, Suite 50, Grand Forks, N.D. 58203.
As we say in the union movement: “One Day Longer!”
Locked-Out Sugar Workers Launch QR Code Campaign for a Fair Deal
 |
The locked-out workers at American Crystal Sugar have launched the first-known union quick response (QR) code campaign to educate consumers and the general public about the lockout. This week, the workers will hand out fliers with the code in major cities in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa, the states where they are locked out.
Consumers who use their smart phones to take a photo of the flier’s QR code will be taken to the campaign website, where the video, “American Crystal Sugar is Killing the American Dream,” is available for viewing. After viewing the video, they can learn more about the lockout by exploring the site or signing a petition to support the workers and send a message to the company’s CEO.
The 1,300 locked-out workers, members of five different Bakery, Confectionery Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) locals, have been shut out since Aug. 1 after they rejected the company’s final offer by a more than nine-to-one margin.
American Crystal reportedly has hired replacement workers at its seven plants in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa. Negotiations to replace a seven-year contract began in May. The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against American Crystal, claiming the company has not bargained in good faith.
