Huntington Steelworkers Dig In for Multi-Month Strike at Warren Buffett's Special Metals
HUNTINGTON, West Virginia – As I arrive at the picket line outside of Special Metal’s 99-year-old plant here in Huntington, the workers seem surprised to see a labor reporter out there.
“Boy, are we glad to see you,” a steelworker tells me. “Nobody has been out to interview us at all.”
Another half dozen steelworkers huddle around the fire bin on this cold November evening in West Virginia. Others stand in front of the giant 20-foot flood walls that surround the gigantic plant based on the banks of the Ohio River.
The strike began October 1 after the company demanded cuts in overtime pay, seniority, and vacation days for the union’s 450 members, most of whom have worked at the plant for a decade or more.
Most drastically, the company demanded a drastic increase in healthcare costs that would force some workers with families to pay as much as $700 a month more in health insurance costs. The steep increase has many members unwilling to accept the proposed deal and head back to work.
“I think everybody is willing to stay out here as long as it takes, you can’t just can’t go back for that,” says Chad Thompson, president of United Steelworkers Local 40. “I think it will break a lot of families.”
While the union has offered to negotiate around-the-clock, Special Metals has not scheduled a bargaining session until December 14 and 15. In fact, since September 30, the company has not adjusted its proposal at all, leading many to believe the company is in for a long fight.
https://paydayreport.com/huntington-steelworkers-dig-in-for-multi-month-strike-at-warren-buffetts-special-metals/