Mar-Apr 2006

Steelers visit autoworkers

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pittsburgh Steeler nose tackle Casey Hampton signed the jersey of UAW Local 594 member Linda Lyles at the General Motors Pontiac (Mich.) Assembly Center. Several players and team officials toured the plant after practice Feb. 3 – just two days before winning the Super Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit. Local 594 members build Chevrolet Silverado trucks and full-size GMC pickups at the plant.

TOWER AUTOMOTIVE

Workers in UAW, 2 other unions authorize strike

The UAW, United Steelworkers and IUE-CWA members voted overwhelmingly – by more than 95 percent – to authorize a strike if a federal court allows auto supplier Tower Auto motive to cut wages and benefits for more than 3,000 union-represented workers.

Tower, with factories in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, filed for bankruptcy in February 2005 and recently filed a motion to have its labor contracts canceled.

“All the unions’ members have joined together in solidarity and proposed creative, proactive solutions to the problems at Tower that would assist the company in exiting bankruptcy while at the same time providing job and economic security for our members,” said UAW Vice President Bob King, who directs the union’s Competitive Shops, Independents, Parts and Suppliers Department. “Unfortunately, Tower has chosen so far to ignore the interests of our members and proposed only that the workers finance their own demise.

“We don’t want a strike. We want to preserve U.S. manufacturing jobs, and we want to see Tower remain an active participant in the U.S. automotive industry,” King added. “Unfortunately, Tower will force a strike unless they change course and begin working with the Tower Union Council and our members.”

Tower is among several auto suppliers with UAW-represented workers that have filed for Chapter 11 protection.

Sandra Davis