670 workers at Freightliner in Portland, OR, and represented by the machinists union (IAM) went on strike Tuesday morning, July 3rd. The workers, members of IAM District Lodge 24 voted Monday night to reject the company’s contract proposal.
Joe Kear, IAM Business Representative, said that “the workers didn't like the company’s proposal to gradually phase out supplemental health care benefits for future retirees, or the contract language allowing up to 10 hours of mandatory overtime a month.
Charles Toby, Grand Lodge Representative assigned to the negotiations and now to support the strikers, said “We presented this contract proposal to the members, and they made a decision to reject it. The membership is in control of the IAM process, as it should be. I’m proud of them for having the determination to say that they will fight to protect themselves, and for those who will need those retiree benefits in the future.”
“These workers have taken a lot from this employer recently,” said IAM General Vice President Lee Pearson. “They know that they produce a high quality product that the public is demanding, and the company is making money off of them. They are angry about Freightliner moving production of their Coronado model to Mexico, laying-off a large number of workers as a result. Now, this contract is trying to take away benefits for future retirees, and deny them the dignity of have a say in whether they want to continue working after their workday is over, or give up their weekend. They have decided that enough is enough”
The members of Local 1005 in Portland are walking picket lines for the first in more than 30 years, and many are second and third generation workers from the same family.
The U.S. Labor Department has twice certified that previous Freightliner production has gone to Mexico as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
