By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor
Union steelworkers went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday after failing to negotiate a new three-year contract with TruSeal Technologies in Barbourville.
Sam Elliott, staff representative with United Steelworkers, said 152 members of Local 8411 voted against the contract Tuesday, and one voted for it.
“And I just learned that the one that was for it thought that he was supposed to vote ‘yes’ and he made a mistake, so it was 100 percent,” Elliott said.
Elliott said union members are also accusing TruSeal of unfair labor practices and violations of the National Labor Relations Act.
“The company, during the course of negotiations, they interrogated employees about their union activities, they also discouraged membership with our union, and of course we have issues with the contract as well,” Elliott said. “The company is wanting to, as we call it, gut our contract language and take us back years and years where we had made progress.”
The three-year union contract approved in 2006 expired at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Richard Mack, director of human resources for TruSeal, confirmed that talks to approve a new contract were unsuccessful, but added “at the union’s request, we will be meeting with them at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). We really hope to hammer (a contract) out as soon as possible. We are open for business. Our employees are welcome to come back to work. We are not locking anyone out, and we believe it’s in the best interest of both parties to settle this as soon as possible.”
As for accusations of unfair practices, Mack said, “We don’t have any knowledge of that. We don’t believe we’ve engaged in any unfair labor practices. Without knowing specifically what they are talking about, it would be very difficult to comment on that.”
Elliott said negotiations over the new contract have been ongoing for about two months. Points of contention included, Elliott said, a new policy that would give workers overtime pay after 40 hours a week — currently, they receive overtime for any work over eight hours in a single day. Union members also protested proposed increases in insurance premiums, the elimination of attendance bonuses, and changes to employee 401K policies.
TruSeal Technologies, Inc. is a manufacturer of warm-edge, insulating glass sealant spacer systems for windows, doors and solar panels. TruSeal’s Barbourville location currently has 132 active hourly employees. Although 153 union members voted Tuesday, Elliot said that “35 or so” are currently laid off but still eligible to vote.
Mack said a down economy and a particularly slowed housing market have affected production and caused layoffs throughout the year. Economic conditions were a factor in the company’s contract negotiations, he said.
But Elliott argues that the company is still strong despite the recession, saying, “They are just taking advantage of all these things in order to try to get some concessions from the workers.”
TruSeal has production lines running 24 hours a day, five days a week, Mack said. He said the facility will continue to manufacture during the strike using its salaried employees.
“Our goal is to modernize our labor contract in such a way that it helps us go forward... helps the longevity of the facility here in Barbourville,” Mack said. “We hope for the best. This is not something that we desire but we will continue to operate and service our customers. We have a very strong commitment to our customers.”
TruSeal is a part of Quanex Corporation, a publicly held company whose one-year investor return is currently over 100 percent.
