We are the United Steelworkers, North America’s largest industrial union. We’re 1.2 million members and retirees strong in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. We proudly represent men and women who work in nearly every industry there is.
Your bargaining committees met again this week with Libbey management and the company's attorneys.
Your bargaining committees met again this week with Libbey management and the company's attorneys.
We also met with local management in Shreveport and Toledo to present a series of proposals that were aimed at reducing operating cost and improving efficiency by restructuring work and redesigning jobs.
We also met with local management in Shreveport and Toledo to present a series of proposals that were aimed at reducing operating cost and improving efficiency by restructuring work and redesigning jobs.
Your bargaining committees met again this week with Libbey management and the company's attorneys.
We also met with local management in Shreveport and Toledo to present a series of proposals that were aimed at reducing operating cost and improving efficiency by restructuring work and redesigning jobs.
In addition, we proposed administrative changes to further streamline operations and reduce overall cost to the company.
We met internally with our union committees to assess management's responses to our proposals and the amended proposal we received from the company on Thursday afternoon.
We have offered to meet locally with managment on local issues, and we will continue to work over the weekend developing our next proposal and we'll be prepared to respond to management early next week.
The Company's plan to navigate the bankruptcy process still relies too heavily on reducing capacity, laying off workers and reducing wages and benefits for everyone else.
We are committed to stand together in order to make sure union members are treated fairly during this process, save as many jobs as possible and provide as much security as possible.
Your support for your bargaining committees and our solidarity and determination are important to achieving a fair and equitable contract.
Stay strong and stay safe, we'll continue to keep you updated as we proceed.
In Solidarity - USW/IAM - Libbey Bargaining Committee
There is some confusion regarding the WARN notice for our plant posted on the in.gov webpage. The site shows approximately 650 represented employees affected by layoff. Please understand, the Company was required to issue a WARN notice when they began layoffs in April. The notice has been amended due to the running total of layoffs effecting more than 500 employees (most of those affected have already been recalled) and in light of several salary layoffs which were converted to terminations. The state requires this information due to the draw on unemployment. The total number of employees affected are included in the in.gov webpage, NOT the number of employees who will be laid off next week. As LMP #15 states, there will be minimal involuntary layoffs next week.
There are a lot of moving parts in this current situation. When issues such as this pandemic strike, it is difficult to relay all information in a flyer. There tends to be a lot of misinformation throughout the press and social media. This is why we will continue with shop meetings. Please be patient as we work our way throughout all areas of the mill. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns please reach out to your Zone Griever or any of your Representatives.
In the past few weeks, we have been conducting shop meetings in Coke, Iron Producing, Steel Making and the Hot Mill to address questions and concerns regarding current issues. We will continue to hold meetings in the upcoming weeks with Finishing, Plate Mill and MEU.
Lack of orders are still a hindrance. As a result of this continuing deterioration in the market, the Company was required to issue the WARN Act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) to all of their US facilities and we may experience minimal layoffs in the upcoming weeks. At this point, pinpointing who may be affected will depend on how quickly customer orders pick up from this COVID-19 induced economic downturn. If you have questions regarding how to file an unemployment claim, please reach out to us. We are here to help.
The Union and Company have been working tirelessly to assess damages which occurred during the recent incident in Iron Producing. We have a plan in place to bring the Furnace back online next week. I would like to thank everyone involved for their ideas and ‘outside-of-the-box’ thinking to get Burns Harbor back on our feet. As our plan comes together, this does not mean we are out of the woods. We will need to continue to work together diligently and safely to ensure the longevity of our plant.
Unfortunately, this pandemic has caused an extraordinary amount of call offs. We need to ensure during times of ambiguity that we do not lose focus. As essential workers, maintaining an industrial work schedule is a priority. Our Country is depending on us.
In Solidarity, Pete Trinidad Sr. USW 6787 President
