UAW CNH GLOBAL
Solid support warms locked-out workers
Winters are frigid in the Midwest, and when management at CNH Global locked out 650 workers at facilities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota last November, the upcoming season looked even more bleak.
“The worst part was seeing the scabs go in — somebody else doing your job,” said Kim Covey, a member of UAW Local 807 in Burlington, Iowa.
But as CNH, a manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, gave workers the cold shoulder, union solidarity kept members warm enough to keep going until they approved a contract in March.
“There was an outpouring of help,” said Covey, a mother of four. “We had retirees from our local and from other places come down to help,” said Covey.
Holiday baskets from union members helped, and when workers at Champion Sparkplugs were given holiday hams by the company, many turned them over to the locked-out CNH workers.
“The locals from Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine, they came out in full force. It was unbelievable,” said John Valco, president of Local 180 in Racine, Wis. “When the chips were down, the community came out. Our local was always on the giving end with charitable events, stuff like food drives and coat drives. It was kind of awkward being on the receiving end.”
Two restaurants sent food to the picket line nearly every day. “There was no one going hungry on the picket line,” said Valco.
Region 4’s Deere and Caterpillar councils raised more then $40,000 that
went to the locals.
Mike McGonigle, president of Local 763 in St. Paul, Minn., was awed by the support
they got.
“We got help big time,” said McGonigle. “I knew we had a strong
union, but I didn’t realize we were as strong as we are. Local 879 from
the Ford plant came up big time for us. They’ve always been good to us.
Local 125 amalgamated helped, too. There were Teamsters, AFL-CIO, the Pilots
Association and people from AFSCME.”
Some of the unions chose a day each week to come out and picket.
Local 152 members in Burr Ridge, Ill., work in a very conservative county, but knew they could depend on nearby UAW members.
“We got excellent support from Local 719,” said Ralph Gaeto, president of Local 152. “They let us use their hall and took care of our mailing. They were very good to us.”
It was a full year between opening contract talks and final approval by the
workers.
“Their resolve during the company-imposed lockout was outstanding and led
to a better contract than what CNH originally proposed,” said UAW Vice
President Cal Rapson, who directs the union’s Agricultural Implement Department.
Now they’re back to work, but the positive effects of the lockout still linger, especially the solidarity among workers.
“You couldn’t ask for a better crew,” said McGonigle. “Management thinks they lock out 27 people. But they lock out 27 families. The company must realize we’re not pieces of a machine. We’re people. We make these places run. We’re the ones that make them the money.”
