Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Plants/Manufacturing, Commercial Trucks, UAW/Unions
UAW strikes at International Truck and Engine Corporation
by Merritt Johnson on Oct 23rd 2007 at 7:54PM 
First GM, then Chrysler and now International Truck and Engine Corporation ... Beginning at 5 o'clock EST UAW members went on strike at all ITE union facilities. The UAW contract ended October 1st, but union members were urged to continue working despite the absence of a new contract. It was expected that an agreement was in short reach. However, now the negotiations have completely broken down and the UAW cites ITE's unfair labor practices as the reason. The UAW states it will return to negotiations once more respect is shown for its workers.
This comes in the wake of International Truck and Engine's recent spat with their engine customer, Ford. Follow the jump for the UAW's release in full.
[Source: UAW]
PRESS RELEASE:
UAW members strike International Truck and Engine over unfair labor practices
CHICAGO - More than 4,000 UAW members at 11 local unions in six states are on strike as of 5:00 pm today against International Truck and Engine, maker of Navistar trucks, in response to the company's unfair labor practices.
"International Truck and Engine has shredded our agreement, shipped our work out of the country, and trampled our nation's labor laws," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "When UAW members are on strike for justice anywhere, they have the support of UAW members everywhere -- and our entire union is standing shoulder to shoulder with our members at ITE."
"Our bargaining committee came to these negotiations with every intention of reaching an agreement," said UAW Vice President General Holiefield, who directs the union's Heavy Truck Department. "But it takes two sides to reach a deal -- and it has unfortunately become apparent that management at ITE is not yet willing to work with us to negotiate a fair and equitable contract."
The company has violated U.S. labor law, said Holiefield, by making unilateral changes in the terms and conditions of employment, ordering an illegal lockout at the company's assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, and by refusing to provide the UAW bargaining team with information necessary for negotiations.
"ITE executives moved our work to Mexico and to non-union plants in Texas, cancelled our supplemental unemployment benefits, and ignored our job security program," said Holiefield.
The UAW has filed unfair labor practices regarding ITE's illegal conduct with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board.
"We're prepared to return to the bargaining table at any time," said Holiefield. "If the company is willing to abide by the law and respect our hard-working members at ITE, we believe we can resolve our differences."
UAW members on strike include members of UAW Local 98 at the ITE Indianapolis Engine Plant; members of UAW Local 226 at Indianapolis Casting Corp., members of UAW Local 2274, who are ITE clerical and technical workers in Indianapolis; members of UAW Local 2911 at Fort Wayne Engineering; members of UAW Local 402 at the ITE Springfield Assembly Plant in Springfield, Ohio; members of UAW Local 658, who are ITE clerical and technical workers in Springfield; members of UAW Local 6 at the ITE Engine Plant in Melrose Park, Illinois; members of UAW Local 2293, who are clerical and technical workers in Melrose Park; members of UAW Local 472 at the ITE Parts Distribution Center (PDC) in Atlanta; members of UAW Local 119 at the ITE PDC in Dallas, and members of UAW Local 187 at the ITE PDC in York, Pennsylvania.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ben 8:13PM (10/23/2007)
>Snore!
Reply
Bananas 8:52PM (10/23/2007)
Maybe this will FINALLY help to kill the UAW!?!
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Level 10:42PM (10/23/2007)
LOL
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nurseamy1 7:51AM (11/19/2007)
Yes, all of you who want the UAW gone, you are "all american"...and I'm sure many of you have never worked as an assembler on manufacturing let alone in a union facility. Lets see, lets purchase our vehicles from mexico and korea, better yet, lets depend on all other countries for our products..Afterall, lead toys are great for our children too. God Bless the USA and all those who support our workers and their rights...and then God Bless the "wanna bees"...buy you overseas junk...better yet, why don't you move there!!!!
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walker 7:39PM (12/16/2007)
People assume that just because the union says they represent the workers, they do. But representing someone in a legal sense doesn't necessarily mean you support their views, or even their best interests. I used to work for International. Although the company is hardly blameless, I found my own interests sided more with the company than the union.
Perhaps we should be more concerned about what is best for American workers, instead of what is best for American unions.