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South Carolina Warehouse Workers Call 24-hour Strike June 16, 2005 On June 10, approximately 100 distribution center workers at Northern Tool & Equipment Company in Fort Mill, South Carolina, called a 24-hour strike to pressure management to bargain in good faith. The strike, which ended up lasting four days because management cancelled weekend overtime work, put a major dent in the company’s business. The workers, who stock, pull, pack and ship items from screwdrivers to lawnmower parts, are fighting for fair wage increases and affordable health insurance. “This company is expanding like crazy, but they’re not willing to share anything with the employees that make them that money,” said Ernie Wrenn, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 71 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 700,000-square-foot distribution center services 80 percent of Northern’s catalog sales, and 100 percent of the company's retail sales. Negotiations are scheduled to resume with a federal mediator on June 17. |
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