Labor in Illinois

Weekly Labor Report
August 13, 2007

Management Promotes Union Organizing in Southern Illinois Ballparks

Griffin Goetz, assistant director of Laborers’ Midwest Region Organizing Committee, has announced the pleasant surprise that Southern Illinois Miners “are strong believers in workers’ rights.” Miners Vice President Erik Haag reflected, “Union labor is what got this ballpark done on time and looking like it does. We have a good relationship so far and I don’t expect that to change.” The union is also working to organize custodial and concession services at the ballpark, workers for ARAMARK. – The Southern (8 August 2007)

Tenneco Considers Purchcasing Delphi Plant

Tenneco Inc., headquartered in Lake Forest, has reached a tentative agreement with the IUE-CWA to buy a plant in Kettering. The plant currently employs 700 workers, but Tenneco plans to reduce the workforce to between 350 and 375. New work for the plant will come from General Motors and include struts, strut modules and shock absorbers. Workers are expected to take pay cuts. Production workers, who currently earn between $11 and $23.99 per hour, will now earn $10 per hour for the same labor. Skilled trade workers, who currently make $26 per hour, will now earn $21 per hour. – Dayton Business Journal (8 August 2007)

Springfield City Employees Protest New Ordinance

Springfield firefighters have joined other city employees in a petition to stop a proposed ordinance that would grant alderman access to all city documents, including those that might vilify city workers. The current debate is over access to an in-depth Illinois State Police report of alleged police misconduct. Many Springfield city employees hold that the ordinance, now passed by the city council but not yet signed by Mayor Tim Davlin, violates collective bargaining agreements. Davlin has said that it is not necessary for council members to view personnel documents in order to perform their jobs. If Davlin vetoes the ordinance, it would be his first in five years as Mayor of Springfield. – Springfield Journal Register (14 August 2007)

Southern Illinois Mine Cited with Multiple Violations of Mine Safety

Located in Saline County, the Galatia mine, owned by the American Coal Company, a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation, has been cited by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration with 869 violations so far this year. It has accumulated unpaid fines of more than $3 million dating back to 1999. The company holds that they protest many of these as unfair. The United Mine Workers of America has run campaigns against Robert Murray, the chairman of the mining company and board member of the National Mining Association. This association has cited Murray’s support for the federal Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act which was passed last year. He maintains that despite what federal inspectors have found, his mines are “not particularly better or particularly worse than any other mine operator in the country.” – Forbes.com (9 August 2007)

Locked Out Electrical Workers at Quad City Die Casting Win Federal Negotiation

Members of United Electrical Workers Union Local 1174, workers for Quad City Die Casting, were locked out of their jobs after rejecting contract offers on July 8th and 29th. After talks with a federal negotiator, however, they have announced that they may return to work soon. Tim Curtin, international representative of the electrical workers’ union, said that workers are still concerned with the company’s plans to employ temporary and part-time employees. On top of fears of depressed wages, electrical workers fear that temporary workers face safety hazards when handling molten aluminum without proper experience. – WQAD (Moline) (13 August 2007)

Mt. Sinai Nurses Vote Against Joining National Union

Nurses at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago have rejected the National Nurses Organizing Committee in a vote 293 to 152. Fernando Losada, the union’s director of collective bargaining for Illinois, has reported that the union swayed the vote by exerting pressure and misinformation on the election. The union targeted 508 registered nurses at he hospital. The loss comes as a setback for the union after the successful organizing of 1800 Cook County Bureau of Health Services workers in 2005. – Chicago Business (7 August 2007)