Tennessee Machinists Vote to Strike Viskase Inc. over Steep Benefit Cuts
One hundred and eighty-nine members of the International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 2544 in Loudon, TN voted
overwhelmingly to reject a contract proposal from Viskase, Inc. and
commence a strike today at 12 noon Eastern time.
The IAM members at Viskase voted by more than two-thirds to reject the
company s five-year proposal, which included deep cuts to current health
care and retirement benefits while tripling a tax on workers who smoke.
This is a successful and profitable company, said District 711
Directing Business Representative Rickey Wallace. They are demanding
cuts that would add significant costs to our members family budgets.\"
The company s proposal includes a so-called consumer-driven
health-care plan, which would include $1800 deductible for single
workers, $3600 for families, as well as cuts in short-term disability
and workers comp pay. This all but guarantees bankruptcy for members
who get sick, said Wallace.
The IAM is also filing Unfair Practice Charges against Viskase with the
National Labor Relations Board for surface bargaining and refusing to
bargain in good faith.
The company would go over 36 hours at a time without meeting with our
Committee, said Wallace. Last Friday, we were planning to meet with
the company again at 8 PM, but the company at the last minute sent a
message through the Federal Mediator that they were leaving for the
weekend, and wouldn t be back before Monday. This isn t the action of a
company bargaining in good faith.
The IAM represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members across
North America. For more information about the IAM, visit www.goiam.org.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150930006557/en/
IAMAW
Bob Wood, 214-755-4207 (cell)
Copyright Business Wire 2015Business WireSeptember 30, 2015 - 1:29 PM EDTNews by QuoteMediawww.quotemedia.com
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