On Monday, June 23, 2008 UAW Local 1832 members
reported to work at Peterbilt in Madison, Tennessee and found themselves
locked out. The gates were locked and the union members were denied entry to the workplace.
UAW officials have been negotiating a new contract
with Peterbilt and negotiations had been continuing. However, representatives
for Peterbilt decided to lock the union out of the facility.
When unions feel that contract negotiations are
not progressing a strike can be called if the existing agreement
has expired. In a lockout, the company decides to prevent the union
members from working, even thought the union desires to continue
negotiating and the keep their members at work.
Five years ago Peterbilt locked UAW Local 1832 members
out on September 02, 2002 during contract negotiations and kept
the union members locked out 10 months before they agreed to allow
them to return. It had been hoped these contract negotiations would
be more civil than the actions in 2002 as Local 1832 members suffered
the pain of losing their income for an extended period of time.
“We are disappointed that Peterbilt has decided
to lockout our members out again,” states UAW International
Representative Mike Brown who has been working on the contract.
“The UAW
had every intention of allowing the collective bargaining process
to work while keeping our members on the job. It is unfortunate
that Peterbilt has decided to deny our members their constitutional
right to the collective bargaining process and lock them out of
their jobs. We are ready to return to the bargaining table as soon
as possible to negotiate a settlement and get our members back to
work. Until that happens, the UAW will use every resource available
to protect these families and provide health care and basic income
to avoid the type of hardships families usually feel during a loss
of income.”
On Thursday June 26, 2008, UAW Region 8 sent two
buses from their annual Summer School to support the locked out
workers in the picket line. Over 100 union members stood outside
the facility and conducted a peaceful demonstration against a corporation
that has now locked their employees out for a second time in five
years.
UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, Assistant Director
Donny Bevis and UAW International Vice-President Bob King joined
the locked out workers on the picket line. Passing traffic honked
their horns in support of these working men and women who are being
denied their right to collective bargaining and entry to their workplace.
members were denied entry to the workplace.
UAW
had every intention of allowing the collective bargaining process
to work while keeping our members on the job. It is unfortunate
that Peterbilt has decided to deny our members their constitutional
right to the collective bargaining process and lock them out of
their jobs. We are ready to return to the bargaining table as soon
as possible to negotiate a settlement and get our members back to
work. Until that happens, the UAW will use every resource available
to protect these families and provide health care and basic income
to avoid the type of hardships families usually feel during a loss
of income.”
