Mercury Marine Officials Meet with Union (2,000 jobs on the line)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=10755836

By Natalie Arnold

With the recent announcement looming over their heads that Mercury Marine might leave Fond du Lac -- and 2,000 people without jobs -- representatives from the International Association of Machinists met with management from the marine engine company.

"They wanted to sit down and talk about making improvements and adjustments to the contract, and they have given us a proposal to that effect," Russell Krings of the International Association of Machinists said.

Monday morning, representatives from the machinists union sat down with management from Mercury Marine.

Last week, Mercury Marine's president confirmed the company is considering closing its Fond du Lac plant and moving operations to its facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma. That would put at least 2,000 people out of work in Northeast Wisconsin.

The union says the company is telling workers it needs to make changes to the contract.

"It was a listening session for us," Krings said. "The company explained to us the economic times are not that good right now and they need to talk to us."

FULL story and video at link.

[foginthemorn]

1. Whow. I can not imagine Fond du lac without Mercury. Except

lake Winnebago will be cleaner without all the oil.