STRUTHERS Astro Shapes' union leader feels hopeful for jobs

A union leader says Astro Shapes will be stronger when workers return.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
STRUTHERS -- The union president leading the strike at Astro Shapes says he is confident the union will retain all of its jobs under a proposed labor contract to be voted on today.
The main issue during the five-week strike by United Steelworkers of America Local 9401 has been subcontracting language.
A tentative agreement reached Wednesday includes language that satisfies the concerns of union leaders, said Tony Sevi, Local 9401 president.
It says the aluminum extruder can send work to outside suppliers only when there is too much work for union members to handle, he said.
Union leaders have been concerned that the current language would allow the company to outsource work and eliminate jobs. During the last contract, some truck driving work was outsourced and 10 drivers were reassigned to other jobs.
Company officials could not be reached for comment.
Back to jobs
Sevi said another key to the settlement was allowing all strikers to return to their jobs. The company had said some workers were fired for misconduct on the picket line.
Sevi said the tentative agreement calls for four workers to be suspended without pay for six weeks, but then they can return to work without the punishment's being on their permanent record.
Sevi said he doesn't think the two sides will have any problems if the union members return to work. He said he thinks managers better understand the problems faced by union members because of their time on the line during the strike.
"Both sides grew from this. We are going to get stronger, better," he said.
If the 320-member union approves the agreement, workers would be back on the job Monday. The company has been operating the extrusion lines with management, some union members who have crossed the picket line and others.
Details of contract
Sevi said the four-year agreement calls for annual raises of 40 cents per hour and a continuation of fully paid health care premiums.
Both of those were in the offer that the union rejected when it began the strike Nov. 5. That offer also included a $750 signing bonus, which is not part of the tentative agreement.
The union says the top pay for production workers is $13.10 an hour, with the average wage being $11.02 an hour.
shilling@vindy.com