Quantcast
Channel: American Rights at Work's Blog at Work » american crystal sugar
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Locked-out workers wrap up Journey for Justice

0
0

Yesterday, the locked-out workers at Cooper Tire’s Findlay, Ohio, plant approved a contract offer from the company and will head back to work shortly. When they first received the offer last week, the workers were on a “Journey for Justice” with locked-out American Crystal Sugar workers to call attention to their struggle—and to the struggle of all workers left out in the cold by corporate greed.

The unions that represent the two groups of workers, the United Steelworkers and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union, give us a glimpse inside their journey in the press release cross posted below.

Six days ago, members of the United Steelworkers (USW) and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) began “From Fargo to Findlay: A Journey for Justice”… Eight locked-out workers traveled over 1,000 miles from the American Crystal Sugar Company offices near Fargo, ND, to Cooper Tire and Rubber Company’s headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, and participated in rallies, fundraisers, and direct actions with local union members and allies along the way.

Participants said that the Journey inspired union solidarity among workers at stops along the route as well as from supporters following the Journey online. Supporters followed the Journey via the workers’ weblog, crystalgreed.com/journeyforjustice/, and sent messages of solidarity to the Journey using Facebook and Twitter.

“We’ve seen the power of solidarity at work in bargaining, during the lockout, and on the road,” said USW Local 207L Rapid Response Coordinator Robert Greer. “We all understand that we are stronger together than we are divided.”

That observation was echoed by the other participants, who understand that the fight for fairness and dignity on the job extends beyond the ACS and Cooper labor disputes.

“We are sharing our stories about the ways Crystal Sugar’s lockout is affecting us and our families,” said Lee Schlichtmann, who is currently locked out of ACS’s Hillsboro facility. “We’ve learned there are many other companies using the recession as an excuse for taking advantage of their workers too. It’s bullying, and workers shouldn’t have to take it.”

Read the rest of the wrap up here!

Photo courtesy of Journey for Justice.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images