Lockout at Plymouth Foundry in second week

After Local 63B was notified of the lockout on Oct. 27, the union immediately contacted the Dislocated Worker Program and the Department of Employment & Economic Development.

On Monday, Nov. 3, an informational meeting was held for union members, who are eligible for unemployment compensation because of the lockout. Representatives from both agencies were in attendance to answer questions, said Greg Sticha, financial secretary-treasurer for the local.

Sticha stated that the morale of the members is high. "If anything, the company\’s unwarranted attack on GMP members has served to unite them and to solidify their resolve to achieve a fair contract," he said.

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On the first day of the lockout, it appears to the union that the company brought in approximately 25 temporary replacement employees to work in the foundry. The union believes the company has intentions of increasing the "temp" numbers to around 50 in the near future.

At the same time, the union is hopeful about still reaching a contract settlement. The previous pact expired Sept. 30. A negotiation session has been scheduled for Nov. 10 at the offices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

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Foundries, like other businesses, are influenced by the economy with customer "back-orders" determining employment levels.

"Now that the Machinists\’ strike against Boeing is settled and with the elections over, projected customer orders could be a motivation to get a decent contract settlement," Sticha said.

Ever since Progress Casting was organized in the late 1940s, the union has worked with the company in contract negotiations without any work stoppage in the last 25 years, Sticha said.

In 2004, the union accepted management\’s request for a 15-month wage freeze to assist the company through a difficult period. Union officials say it appears the company\’s past cooperative approach to labor-management relations changed a couple years ago when Progress hired new top-level management people. Since then, the union believes the cooperative labor-management relationship has deteriorated.

Local 63B plans to meet with the representatives of the Minnesota AFL-CIO and Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation to explore various options. The union expressed its thanks to the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) for support already provided by that organization.

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