Joliet Cat Workers Approve Contract, Ending Strike
Reports say the vote was close, and many employees are angered by a deal that is not much different than what had been offered to them earlier this summer.
The Joliet machinists' strike with Caterpillar Inc. is over; a new six-year contract was approved today.
The deal, broked by district representatives for the 780 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, calls for wages of upper tier employees to have their wages frozen while second-tier workers hired after May 2005 will received 3 percent raises, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune.
Health care premiums will double, pensions will be eliminated and seniority rights would be diminished, the story said.
However, workers will receive a $3,100 signing bonus.
According the Trib story, the vote was close and many workers were angered that the 3-month strike netted a deal that was similar to one offered to the employees in June.
Tony
2:01 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
I feel sorry for the workers who struck in good faith only to be double crossed by thier own union.It will be no time at all before Cat forces the union right out the door and they have no-one to blame but themselves. You will never get back the money you lost on the strike and the company has weakened the union to the point that they can no longer function as a union because they are divided.
JD
1:06 pm on Saturday, August 18, 2012
The company hasn't weakened the union, the economy has weakened the union. It doesn't matter if you are in a union or not, employees do not have the leverage they used to.
Average Joe
8:10 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
The Union back-stabbed the workers again....long live the Union! Some people will never learn......
Christine
7:38 am on Saturday, August 18, 2012
I know plenty of people that would be happy to have those jobs.
r a
8:22 am on Saturday, August 18, 2012
its Sad The Father's And Grandfather's Who Built a Strong Union
For Everyone's Benefit
Including The Non Union Worker
That Business Have To Pay A Decent Wage To There Employees And Health Welfare And Retirement Package
Is Now Going Backwards
And Being Dismantled
There Will Be NO Retirement Soon
You Will Have To Work Till You Die
All The Illeagle's
And Lazy Non Working Generations
That Milk The System
When They Could Be Working
Is Sucking The Social Security
And Health System To Its Breaking Point
I Am A Proud Union Worker
And Have Also Worked For Non Union Companys
And My Pension Is Doomed
Nothing There For Me
I Also Give 15% Of MY Check Every WEEK BACK To The Company
Who GIVES There CEO'S For Bonuses
HUH Dont Make Sense
I Give To HELP The Company
They Give To Management
$10,000 I LOOSE For That
AND IT WILL NEVER END !!!!
I Feel Sorry For ALL Those
And ANYONE
That Is Being SCREWED By There Company
And Also Union Breakers And Haters
We Will ALL BE MAKING MINIMUM WAGE SOON
And NO ONE Will Spend There Money On Anything But Food
This Economy And System Sucks
Ihaveaname
10:10 am on Saturday, August 18, 2012
Maybe you should leave the union and go into grammar school. Oh my god, that was hard to read.
Woody
1:05 pm on Saturday, August 18, 2012
to i have a name . why dont you put your name on your comment or are you chicken ????. a. wood
Union brother
5:22 pm on Saturday, August 18, 2012
What was hard to read is how cat is making billions ,It will not take care of the people that are making it for them. I guess my dad was right (union man ) when he said till we are all down and out this trend will continue. Wake up you 99% and start standing together.
Tony
6:45 pm on Saturday, August 18, 2012
I liked Christines reply that lots of people would like to have those jobs. If you could get a machinists job you would need to read blueprints, be able to read and write english,be able to read michrometers and other measuring equipment. You probably took machine shop in school then had manys years on the job training. The money offered by cat you can make at walmart and all you need to know is your name.
Woody
7:35 pm on Sunday, August 19, 2012
one of these days there will be a union revolution.god. help those jerks who voted to rectify the contract. sure dont look like there will be much harmony in the workplace.
Scotty
5:52 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Yeah they should have voted it down, sat home a few more months. Maybe loose their homes. Cat would have been totally justified if they fired them all and hired non union workers.
Wake up.
Scotty
3:50 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
Harmony in the union. Gotta love it. Woody you are as much as admitting that the union is a bunch of thugs. You are promoting retaliation against members who chose to get back to work and support their families instead of go down with the ship while the leadership floats away in the life boats. The union thrives on the ignorrant followers such as yourself.
Scotty
5:47 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
The union demands were unrealistic and Cat. wasn't stupid enough to accept them. The earlier offer should have been acceptd by the workers and they could have been back to work supporting their families. Instead they got to sit home for many more weeks and their families suffered for it. The Union once again showed it doesn't care about the people or the company only power. The days of the unions bankrupting corporations with ridiculas demands are hopefully over.
Woody
8:40 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
some where down the line i would imagine one of your family members was afilated with a. union and reaped the benifits of unionism. take a honest ,look back into your past and see if i was mistaken.god help your children if they intend to get by on the wages these nonunion companys pay. woody
Scotty
3:40 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
That is irrelevant. My family history has nothing to do with the fact that the unions are corrupt and political. If a past member of your family worked for Al Capone would you side with the gang bangers today.
The unions more concerned with political power than the job security and well being of the members. The goons at the top live high on the hog off the hard work and dues ofthe members.Then lead them down the trail to the cliff. If the business goes bankrupt the members are out of luck. The only reason the auto workers still have pensions is because Obuma bailed them out with our childrens future. Just for votes. The union has out lived its usefulness. The socialist/communist society they want will be the death of the USA.