Striking Caterpillar Workers Ratify Contract Offer

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

Workers who have been striking at a Caterpillar hydraulic parts factory in Joliet, Ill., voted on Friday to ratify a proposed six-year contract that contained almost all the concessions that the company had demanded.

In ratifying the offer, the strikers went against the pleas made by leaders of their union local, who strongly opposed the deal. The contract had been negotiated by union leaders from the district level. The showdown was considered a test case in American labor relations, partly because Caterpillar was driving such a hard bargain when its business was thriving.

Read more: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/08/18/business/striking-caterpillar-workers-ratify-contract-offer.xml

[cuncator]

1. And so it goes.

Ugh. How long before they bring back the company store?

[The Last Democrat]

2. It seems,

That Caterpillars chief executive, got the workers wage increase. Caterpillar should insist a pay freeze on there chief executive salary to help maintain the factory competitiveness.

[senseandsensibility]

3. Very sad.

Caterpillar was driving a hard bargain when its business was thriving. Says it all.

[Blue_Tires]

4. +1

sadly I saw 100 workers crossed over and went back to work...people don't understand how important a united force is in labor battles...

[senseandsensibility]

5. Unity is everything.

I don't blame the workers because I think it's important not to forget who the real villians are here. But I think they will regret their actions in the long run. This company will never treat them fairly now.

[waddirum]

6. the Cat Joliet workers were IAM

while most of the rest of the Cat workforce is UAW. What everyone needs is solidarity.