The 69 workers, members of Laborers Local 563, will return to their jobs Friday.
“The Laborers Union is so proud of these courageous members who stood out on the picket line for six weeks to prove to Fabcon that they were strong enough to say ‘no’ to the company’s demands,,” said Tim Mackey, business manager of Laborers Local 563. “This is a victory for the workers and the union.”
Workers voted 52-2 to go on strike April 5, rejecting a management proposal that would have cut their wages by an estimated 30 percent by eliminating a long-time pay differential for overtime work on the weekends.
The company routinely insisted workers report to work for the weekend on short notice.
“We didn’t mind working the weekends, as long as we were paid fairly,” said Bob Sticha, New Prague, who has worked at the plant since it opened in 1971.
In the settlement reached this week, the union reported, Fabcon withdrew the proposal to eliminate overtime pay for weekend work.
During the course of the strike, other union members joined Fabcon workers for rallies and picketing outside Fabcon. Unions also began contributing to a strike fund established for the striking Fabcon workers.
Through a contractor, the company hired temporary workers as strikebreakers in an attempt to keep the plant operating, resulting in the injury of at least one temporary worker, who suffered lime burns to his feet and sought treatment in an emergency room.
“A strike is hard on everyone, but we are going to move forward and work toward improving labor-management relations with Fabcon,” Mackey said, “but most importantly now, our skilled, trained members will be getting back to building the high quality construction materials that has made Fabcon successful.”
Steve Share edits the Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation. Learn more at www.minneapolisunions.org
The 69 workers, members of Laborers Local 563, will return to their jobs Friday.
“The Laborers Union is so proud of these courageous members who stood out on the picket line for six weeks to prove to Fabcon that they were strong enough to say ‘no’ to the company’s demands,,” said Tim Mackey, business manager of Laborers Local 563. “This is a victory for the workers and the union.”
Workers voted 52-2 to go on strike April 5, rejecting a management proposal that would have cut their wages by an estimated 30 percent by eliminating a long-time pay differential for overtime work on the weekends.
The company routinely insisted workers report to work for the weekend on short notice.
“We didn’t mind working the weekends, as long as we were paid fairly,” said Bob Sticha, New Prague, who has worked at the plant since it opened in 1971.
In the settlement reached this week, the union reported, Fabcon withdrew the proposal to eliminate overtime pay for weekend work.
During the course of the strike, other union members joined Fabcon workers for rallies and picketing outside Fabcon. Unions also began contributing to a strike fund established for the striking Fabcon workers.
Through a contractor, the company hired temporary workers as strikebreakers in an attempt to keep the plant operating, resulting in the injury of at least one temporary worker, who suffered lime burns to his feet and sought treatment in an emergency room.
“A strike is hard on everyone, but we are going to move forward and work toward improving labor-management relations with Fabcon,” Mackey said, “but most importantly now, our skilled, trained members will be getting back to building the high quality construction materials that has made Fabcon successful.”
Steve Share edits the Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation. Learn more at www.minneapolisunions.org