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12 hours ago

Staley Lockout in Decatur Brings the Dawn of a New Age of Union Busting and Union Activism
On Sunday, June 27, 1993, Staley Continental locked out its 760 workers who were members of the Allied Industrial Workers of America (AIWA) which had represented workers at the plant for fifty years. As the company told it, it was the culmination of bitter labor disputes over ten years. But as the workers tell it, this was just another step in Staley’s attempt to break their union.
The Decatur Staley plant processed corn. In 1985, A.E. Staley merged with Continental Foods, another wholesale food company and became Staley Continental. Almost right away the cuts in pay and benefits started. The company extracted concession after concession from the workers as the company threatened plant closure. Safety went downhill and overtime stacked up. Three years later, a London-based company – Tate & Lyle – bought most of the company for $1.42 billion and the cuts accelerated. Then in 1991, the company hired a new labor relations director known for union busting. Supervisors were ordered to ignore OSHA regulations. And bit by bit, the company imposed new rules to allow for immediate termination independent of the language in the collective bargaining agreement. In one year alone, more workers were fired than had been fired in the previous twenty years combined.
Workers responded with work-to-rule where they only do what is specifically required on their jobs and no more. Soon production slowed and instead of recognizing that the workers were part of the company’s success, the company raised the stakes by locking them out on June 27.
The lock out lasted two and a half years. During that time, workers took their stories door-to-door in Decatur and on the road. A traveling band of Staley locked out workers called the “Road Warriors” raised the battle cry with unions and $3.5 million in assistance. A corporate campaign to pressure Staley’s customers had some success. Miller Brewing dropped Staley as a supplier in November, 1994, but Pepsi kept on using the company throughout the lockout. The workers started out being members of AIWA, but a union merger made them members of United Paperworkers International Union (UPIU) Local 7837 in January, 1994.
The company’s last offer barely passed ratification with only 56% of the strikers accepting the contract. Less than one hundred of the locked out workers ever got their jobs back. ... See MoreSee Less

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Rhonda Thurman Dumond, Mark Schumaker and 18 others like this

Paul Riedland you are going to see a lot more of that now that the Trumpster and all of his big business cronies.

11 hours ago · 1

Harold PelhamLike what exactly are Employers supposed to do if Folks just plain downright out and out REFUSE to WORK?? Good Grief!!! Go Figure Huh?? Oy Vey!!!

7 hours ago