Plymouth foundry workers trying to survive four months of being locked out

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_3941

By Larry Sillanpa
22 February 2009

DULUTH - When Nick Hill decided to come to Duluth to talk to the Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body about his union being locked out for four months at Progress Casting Group’s foundry in Plymouth, he was amazed at what he found out when he visited Bruce Lotti in USW Local 1028’s office.

“Their scrapbook about their lockout at the foundry here was exactly the same as what we’re going through,” Hill said.

“There’s definitely a game plan that is followed in these attempts at union-busting,” said USW Local 1028 President Lotti.

Hill is like a lot of the members of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastic and Allied Workers
(GMP) Local 63B at Progress Casting. He has worked there for 16 years, but he’s low on the seniority list.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who have worked there for 30 years or more, one’s been there for 47 years,” said Hill, who has been Shop Chairman for 10 years. “45 percent of the workers have 10 or more years.”

Now all 200 of the AFL-CIO-affiliated members are out of work as scab replacement
workers do their jobs. It’s been that way since Oct. 27, 2008.

FULL story at link.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. there is need to make this big news

isn't it typical that this gets swept under the carpet.

what are the senators, house members doing about this?

March and march again. This is the only way they'll listen. Write letters to the editor.