April 7, 2008

On March 14, machine shop workers, die casters and tool crib workers at General Die Casters, Inc. voted in favor of joining Local 24 in Akron, Ohio. There are 125 members in the bargaining unit.

Already sick of low wages and few benefits, the workers reached out to Teamsters for assistance when the company tried to arbitrarily change their eight-hour workdays into mandatory 12-hour shifts.

However, the organizing efforts were met with great opposition from management.

“The company hired a union-busting firm and made many threats to close down the facility and move it to Mexico if the workers chose to join the union,” said Travis Bornstein, President of Akron-based Local 24. “Despite management’s tactics, the workers were determined to stick together and become Teamster members. The senior workers were very instrumental in making the campaign successful.”

Along with Bornstein, Joint Council 41 organizer Rick Kepler assisted in the organizing drive.

Local 24 won the election at General Die Casters, Inc. around the same time a supermajority of workers at the UPS Freight terminal in Richfield, Ohio signed authorization cards for membership, bringing a total to approximately 250 workers joining the local in one week.