Workers, Management Locked in Stalemate at Latrobe Specialty Steel
05/12/2008 - Workers from Latrobe Specialty Steel are locked out after management rejects the offer submitted last Thursday, My 8 be members of United Steelworkers Local 1537.
Workers from Latrobe Specialty Steel voted Thursday night (May 8, 2008) to end their eight-day old strike and make an offer to management to return to work. The following day, however, management informed the workers that the company had rejected the offer and had decided, instead, to lock out the employees.
When members of United Steelworkers Local 1537 had decided to end their strike, they had taken down picket lines at plant gates in a show of good faith. The USW said the picket lines would now return in protest of the lockout.
“We've made this offer to return to work and show we are willing to try to settle differences with the company,” said USW Local 1537 President Kevin Caruso. “Management has rejected this offer, which shows that they care little about their customers and instead appear to be intent on picking a fight with this union and punishing its employees. Our members understand, and management should also understand, that the Steelworkers will continue its struggle until we are able to bargain a fair agreement.”
The 360-member local union called a strike at the plant on May 1 when the previous labor agreement expired. According to the local union, significant issues include hourly pay rates, pension and insurance benefits, and union efforts to maintain equal standards for newly hired workers.
Latrobe Specialty Steel management withdrew its final offer shortly after the strike began and has not presented a new offer for the workers' consideration, according to the union.
