On Monday, June 3, Teamsters Local 215 members employed by Irving Materials Incorporated (IMI) Evansville went on strike. The strike is an unfair labor practices strike. The pickets were extended to IMI Ft. Branch on June 4, and Teamster members there have been honoring the picket lines.
Accordingly to Teamsters 215 President Chuck Whobrey “this strike was totally avoidable. Teamsters 215 members have only wanted to maintain the insurance plan (Central States TeamCare) that they have had for many years, and also to get appropriate wage increases. IMI Teamsters currently make $19.48 per hour. That is $1.60 per hour behind Teamsters employed by Concrete Supply. Teamsters at Concrete Supply have the same insurance plan IMI Teamsters are fighting to maintain. Under the company’s proposal IMI Teamsters would lose dental insurance, life insurance and retiree’s insurance. Teamster members worked without a contract for over two months in an effort to reach an agreement without going on strike. Finally, after some of the things the company did in negotiations, the local union filed unfair labor practice charges and the strike commenced a few days later. Those charges are currently under investigation by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 25”.
Mr. Whobrey also stated that “IMI as a company has benefited immensely over the years because of the Teamsters who work there. On repeated occasions IMI has been awarded contracts because their employees are represented by Teamsters Local 215. The most recent example of this happening was theCostco warehouse construction project on Evansville’s east side. The concrete work on that project was originally awarded to a non-union company. Due to the work of the Teamsters Local Union, that award was reversed and awarded to IMI. The thanks Teamster members got for this is to have the company try to take away their insurance. There are many other examples of work that IMI was awarded because of them being a unionized company. IMI needs to stop attacking the very employees that make them a profitable company”.
FOOTNOTE: This article was posted by the City-County Observer without opinon bias or editing.
