10-Week Chicago Teamsters Strike Wins Back Health Care

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Labor Notes

By Enku Ide While Congress and health care executives played political volleyball with health care reform, workers at SK Hand Tools in Chicago took matters into their own hands.

When their employer unilaterally dropped health insurance and tried to strip pensions and cut pay, 70 members of Teamsters Local 743 struck on August 25.

Now they’re returning to their production lines, where they make wrenches and other tools for Sears, having saved their health care and pensions. They took big pay cuts, but not as deep as what management had demanded: dropping pay from an average $14 to just above Illinois’s minimum wage, $8 an hour.

Although management dumped health care in early May, workers weren’t told. Many had to find out by word of mouth from other workers, or were clued in when hit with surprising medical bills. Workers said managers later told them they’d been too busy to inform employees. Since May, many workers have had to forgo needed medical care or are now amassing debt.


Read more: http://labornotes.org/2009/11/chicago-teamsters-strike-wins-back-health-care

[8 track mind]

1. no way!

I had no idea SK's were union made! Sweet! I'm going to start buying SK's from now on.

[whathehell]

2. K&R!

[Vidar]

3. Good for the teamsters.

[Blue_Tires]

4. kick for victory!

[No Elephants]

5. K & R

[Judi Lynn]

6. Good for these Teamsters who didn't give up. Congratulations. n/t