Local 2181 On Strike Against Asarco in Arizona
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All 1,500 unionized workers at U.S. copper miner Asarco are now on strike. Workers for Tucson-based Asarco, including members of IAM Local 2181, went on strike July 1, after the contracts of about 750 people at the Ray mine and Hayden mill in southeastern Arizona expired. Since then, workers in Texas have also voted to join the strike action. They are protesting what they called unfair labor practices tied in to talks about a company proposal to cut pay and benefits.
At 12:01 AM on July 2, 2005, IAM Local 2181 began an Unfair Labor Practice strike at Asarco after a unanimous vote of the membership to authorize the strike. 2181 is joined in the strike by other unions representing more than 700 workers at Asarco facilities; the other unions are the USWA, the IBEW, Boilermakers, Pipefitters, and Carpenter Millwrights.
The company and union officials were scheduled to meet Wednesday, July 6th, but the session was canceled by Asarco. "They said they didn't believe it would have been a productive session in light of what's gone on," said Manny Armenta, the Steelworkers sub-district director. No date has been set for the talks to resume.
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During the 10-12 day preceding the strike more the company thru it's supervisors has made more than documented illegal contacts with members of the unions including 16 that are the subject of an Unfair Labor Practice charge. The charge alleges that the contact ranges from intimidation, questioning union activity, and directly bargaining with individuals. In addition, the unions charge that during the course of the the negotiations, information requested by them was slow to arrive and grossly inaccurate.
The strike began the day after a contract expired for some 750 workers belonging to seven unions. Asarco Inc., a Tucson-based subsidiary of the Mexican mining company Grupo Mexico, had asked its unions to accept a three-year salary freeze and medical benefits and pension reductions. The strikes have sent ripples across the world, sending copper prices surging and forcing Asarco to cut its production in half. The strikes also expanded when 300 copper workers at the company's Amarillo, Texas, refinery voted to join the 1,200 workers at Arizona mines on strike.
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Asarco Workers were joined by members of the Miners Union from Mexico at a rally on June 21, 2005. The show of solidarity was designed to link all ASARCO workers in the Southwest US, Mexico and Peru in the struggle that the IAM members are facing as they fight for a contract with the company. Miners and Union leaders from Peru were denied visas to join the rally. Other rallies were simultaneously held in Mexico and Peru. Global solidarity helmet stickers with handbills were distributed to all locations in the three countries.
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