Strike support at Fabcon

[Omaha Steve]

Run time: 02:05 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIwXhX7EhJU   Posted on YouTube: April 21, 2010 By YouTube Member: laboreducation Views on YouTube: 43   Posted on DU: April 24, 2010 By DU Member: Omaha Steve Views on DU: 269

 

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4439#video

Fabcon strikers vow to resist major rollback in wages
By Barb Kucera, Workday editor 15 April 2010

SAVAGE - Striking workers at Fabcon, Inc., joined by more than 100 supporters at a solidarity rally Thursday, vowed to fight company efforts to roll back wages. With video.


Strikers and supporters marched outside the plant Thursday.


View video of the rally.

“We have to stay strong,” said Dennis Alvarado, a 10-year employee at Fabcon and member of Construction & General Laborers Local 563. Some 50 members of the union voted to go on strike April 5 rather than accept a Fabcon proposal to cut pay by 30 percent by eliminating overtime pay for weekend work.

The workers said the overtime pay made up for the time they lost being with their families. Negotiations have been going on since January and workers had stayed on the job since the last pact expired Jan. 31.

Negotiations were set to resume Friday and union officials said they are hopeful for a fair settlement.

In an attempt to keep operating, the company brought in strikebreakers on Monday, the union said. At least one replacement worker reported being injured on the job. See related story.

Taking a stand
“We had no illusions” going into negotiations, Local 563 Business Manager Tim Mackey said. “We knew it was hard times . . . What we didn’t expect was a company that wanted to gut our contract and roll us back 30 years.”

Speakers at the rally included state Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia; Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson, Minnesota Building & Construction Trades Council President Harry Melander and other union officials.

FULL story at link.