Members of IAM Local 21 and 1115, employed at heating and air conditioning-manufacturer Trane Co., are on strike today after voting down the company’s proposed contract offer in La Crosse, WI Saturday.
Key sticking points include wages, mandatory overtime, healthcare, no-fault attendance system, contingent work force, and retirement benefits.
The nearly 500 production, maintenance and tool and die makers’ current contract expired at the stroke of midnight Saturday night.
Negotiations are expected to resume Monday morning.
“Our brothers and sisters feel they are overworked, overstressed, and underappreciated,” said District Lodge 66 Directing Business Representative Neil Kamrowski. “Mandatory overtime has been a plague for the last four years. People can’t have a life outside of Trane if they are at work all week. The proposal that failed to ratify had too many negative changes and not enough positive changes to allow a better balance between work and family.”
“The members of IAM Local 21 and 1115 have spoken. And the message is loud and clear,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Philip J. Gruber. “I could not be more proud of our IAM brothers and sisters. They are walking the picket line, not only for themselves, but for workers everywhere. We stand with them in solidarity to let the company know workers at Trane deserve a fair contract.”
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