Kongsberg vote could lead to lockout tonight

[Omaha Steve]

http://timesbulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=146322&TM=2114.029

4/2/2008 12:34:00 AM

BY KIRK DOUGAL

Times Bulletin Editor

[e-mail]

Contract negotiations between Kongsberg Automotive Holding, formerly known as Teleflex, and the 328 United Steel Workers employed at the Van Wert facility took on a more ominous tone on Tuesday.

A labor contract offer, which was given to union representatives last Friday afternoon, will be voted on by the employees tonight at 8 p.m. The president of the United Steel Workers local, Aaron Collins, was informed on Tuesday by Kongsberg officials that if the union does not ratify the contract as offered, union employees will be locked out of the facility starting at 10 p.m. tonight.

"Knowing what they're going to do doesn't help the vote, and it doesn't hurt the vote's chances," said Collins. "I just want everyone to know what is going on before we decide."

The issues remaining between the two sides involve deep pay cuts, pension plan changes, and health insurance costs.

A lockout of the union employees would allow only non-union workers, essentially management, into the Van Wert facility unless Kongsberg opts for the use of temporary replacement workers.

The news of the possibility of a lockout comes at a time when Van Wert County is already reeling from bad employment news. As was reported last Wednesday in The Times Bulletin, Van Wert's unemployment rate jumped a full percentage point in February from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent while the rest of the state fell to 5.3 percent. The current figure is the highest in the county since July 2003 and before that, unemployment figures have not been seen this high since July of 1996. Coupled with the news of KAM Manufacturing's contract cancellation with Vera Bradley Designs, county unemployment numbers threaten to hit levels not seen in decades.

Go to www.timesbulletin.com throughout the day for updates on the labor situation.

[Joesunionreview]

1. Updates on this story

The workers have been locked out, they are scabs working in the facility, not much more information is known, number of employees, demands??
http://timesbulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=146356&TM=260.668">Kongsberg lockout: Day 1 (4/4/08)
http://timesbulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=146376">Meeting Held with Kongsberg Automotive (4/5/08)