Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Bleak anniversary for AK Steel
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A year ago today, AK Steel, the city's largest employer, locked out hourly employees at its Middletown Works when it couldn't reach agreement with the union on a new contract and began operating the plant with about 1,800 replacement workers.
The company and the International Association of Machinists Local 1943 are still no closer to agreement.
And this interesting quote, later on. I'm not sure what to make of it.
In the more than 100 years the Middletown Works has been in operation, there's been only one other brief, four-day company lockout of the workers in 1986.
In the year since the Middletown lockout began, the company has reached new agreements with unions at four other plants. The most recent was last week in Coshocton, Ohio, where 380 members of United Autoworkers Local 3462 overwhelmingly approved a new three-year agreement. Since 2003, McCoy said, AK has negotiated 10 new labor agreements with its unions without a strike or lockout.
A year ago today, AK Steel, the city's largest employer, locked out hourly employees at its Middletown Works when it couldn't reach agreement with the union on a new contract and began operating the plant with about 1,800 replacement workers.
The company and the International Association of Machinists Local 1943 are still no closer to agreement.
And this interesting quote, later on. I'm not sure what to make of it.
In the more than 100 years the Middletown Works has been in operation, there's been only one other brief, four-day company lockout of the workers in 1986.
In the year since the Middletown lockout began, the company has reached new agreements with unions at four other plants. The most recent was last week in Coshocton, Ohio, where 380 members of United Autoworkers Local 3462 overwhelmingly approved a new three-year agreement. Since 2003, McCoy said, AK has negotiated 10 new labor agreements with its unions without a strike or lockout.
