Employees at Janesville's General Motors assembly plant began walking out the doors at 10 a.m. today over the stalled negotiations between the UAW and GM.
Bill Olmsted/Gazette Staff
The plant: Local workers strike 'to protect our future'
(Published Monday, September 24, 2007 12:14:13 PM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Frank Schultz and Jim Leute/Gazette Staff
Local GM employees were subdued as they joined a nationally scheduled strike just after 10 a.m. today and uncertain how long the strike would last.
One worker said outside the plant she heard the strike could last hours or as long as a week.
The strike "kind of makes you a little nervous," Paula Story said.
"The union said that we're striking for job security; that's one of the big issues," she said.
Anita Ahrens burst into tears as hundreds of workers streamed out of the plant.
"Oh my God, here they come," said Ahrens, 39. "This is unreal."
Ahrens has seven years at the plant, where she works nights installing speakers in sport utility vehicles. She waited outside the sprawling building Monday for her husband, Ron Ahrens, who has worked there for 21 years.
The couple has three children, including a college freshman, and Ahrens worried about how they would pay their bills.
"This is horrible, but we're die-hard union, so we have to," Ahrens said. "This really sucks. We got a mortgage, two car payments and tons of freaking bills."
Larry Allen, 56, who has worked 30 years at the plant, described the scene as "pretty docile" when the clock struck 10 a.m.
"We just picked up our tools, put them away and walked out," said Allen, a heavy repairman in paint.
He said he was prepared to strike as long at it took to win concessions on such things as better health care and job security from GM.
"It's time for the union to slap GM for a little bit," Allen said. "Nobody wants to go on strike, but we're prepared to do whatever it takes."
About 10 people gathered in front of the plant holding signs that read "UAW on strike." Cars honked as they passed.
"As a longtime union member, I don't think anybody has a problem with walking the picket line," said Allen, although he, like most of the workers, got into his vehicle and left.
A steady stream of vehicles showed up shortly after 10 a.m. at the Walter P. Reuther Memorial Hall in Janesville. Some people left carrying picket signs to their vehicles.
"We need to protect our future," said one male GM employee who requested anonymity. "I hope it doesn't go on very long."
"We've got to get this settled for us and our retirees," another male worker said. "We've got to trust our leadership."
Mike Hanlon, who was picketing at the plant, said no delivery trucks would be going in or out of the plant. He didn't expect any trouble with that, he said, because the trucks from LSI and Lear all are union members.
Hanlon said it would be a good thing if the two sides settled soon, "but you can't take retirement benefits away from people who have worked all their lives."
He explained that he was worried that the VEBA-a special trust fund backed financially by the automaker and managed by the union to pay the health care costs of retirees-would not be funded sufficiently and that retirees would be left without retiree benefits.
Jeff Haines complained that GM executives were getting bonuses while workers were giving up their raises.
"The CEO can't give himself a 75-percent raise between 2005 and '06 right when we are restructuring, when we're giving up our raises and cost of living raises. You just don't do that," he said.
Several workers mentioned local issues, including productivity measures that have led to a loss of jobs at the plant.
"We've been giving and giving and giving on production time," Dale Heitsman said.
Allen said he was worried that the Janesville plant was down to about 2,500 union jobs.
"(Plant manager) Gary Malkus says, 'Team, team, team, team,' but you can only go for so long," Allen said.
Several workers outside the plant said they hoped that the strike would not last long.
"We don't know what's holding up negotiations," John Haffery said.
He said he understood that VEBA was a big issue as well as wages.
"Nobody really knows," he said. "We just have to support those who are doing the negotiations in Detroit."
Local 95 Shop Committee Chairman John Dohner Jr. is one of those on the national bargaining team in Detroit.
Heitsman said he did not think the strike would last very long.
"Neither side can afford to be out for very long," Heitsman said.
Gino Sherrod said he hopes the strike doesn't last long because he doesn't have a lot of money put away. He said he had been saving, but then he had to put in a new furnace and a garage door, which depleted his savings.
"Nobody wants this," Sherrod said, "… but we had to support them. If that's what the union says we got to do, we gotta walk."
Janesville police have had open communication with both Local 95 leaders and plant management, Deputy Chief David Moore said this morning.
"Our experience in terms of picketing at General Motors is that it is not confrontational and is done in a professional manner," Moore said.
The department has enough officers on duty today to monitor pickets, he said.
Before the strike was called, Mike Sheridan, UAW Local 95 president, said:
"This is all about protecting families supporting American jobs," Sheridan said. "That's issue number one. Issue number two is making sure we protect the retirees, both future and present, who have sacrificed a lot for the active workforce."
Sheridan said a third point would be the executive compensation GM officials are paid and the reportedly huge bonuses they get while chipping away at workers' pay and benefits.
"As I go around and talk to other leaders and workers, I don't think that there's anybody that wants a strike," Sheridan said. "But when it comes to protecting job security and health benefits, the union is willing to do what it has to do."
Sheridan said all union members have picketing schedules. In the first few hours of the strike, workers coming out of the plant will man most of the pickets.
Sheridan said there was no call from Detroit initiating the walkout in Janesville.
"We were told that if we didn't hear anything, then we were going at 10 a.m.
"The walkout was very orderly, very respectful … we made sure we told them that we're coming back, so leave everything in good order," Sheridan said.
Sheridan said he has no idea how long the strike will last.
"My hope is that it is resolved very quickly."
Local GM management had no comment on the strike.
Picketing rules The Janesville Police Department has developed a set of rules and procedures for dealing with labor strikes.
Officers will perform their general duties in the same way as in more common events in that they will protect life and property and maintain order, according to a copy of the rules provided by Deputy Chief David Moore.
Police-and no one else-are responsible for traffic control.
The policy notes that strikes and peaceful conduct by pickets do not violate the law.
The rules established by the department are:
-- Picket lines shall form on sidewalks and shall confine themselves to the outside curb side of the sidewalks to allow passage of anyone wishing to pass along the sidewalk.
Where there is no obvious designation of a sidewalk, pickets may walk in the 17 feet or whatever measure the right-of-way easement might be, as measured from the curb line.
-- Individuals on a picket line do not have to be an employee of the company being struck to be on the picket line. Pickets shall not form along streets or roads.
-- No limits have been considered regarding the number of pickets on the line. But they must remain peaceful and orderly. They are not to interfere, stop or impede persons or vehicles entering or leaving the plant or along sidewalks, streets or crosswalks in any way.
-- Pickets must keep moving. Whenever a picket line stops or becomes unruly or disorderly, pickets become subject to arrest. Three or more persons acting together to commit an unlawful act under these situations constitute unlawful assembly.
-- People working in or having business to conduct within the plant which is being struck have the right to freely pass and may do so without being impeded, stopped or threatened with bodily harm. The transportation of commodities in or out of plant facilities where there is a labor controversy may be done without being impeded, stopped or threatened with bodily harm. This applies to individuals, vehicles and various transportation lines.
-- Entrances or exits of any nature or purpose may not be blocked or impeded by any manner or means. If pamphlets are distributed on the picket lines or to individuals entering or leaving the plant, it must be done in an orderly way. The distribution cannot block entrances, exits or sidewalks.
-- Union officials or pickets may converse with people within or outside the struck plant in an orderly manner. Threats, harassment, intimidation or coercion are not permitted. This includes threats or obscene harassment over the telephone. The use of the telephone in this manner violates the law.
-- Fighting, assaults, battery, violence, threats, intimidation, consumption of intoxicants in public are not permitted and will result in arrest.
-- Knives, clubs, guns or weapons of any kind will not be permitted.
-- Using profanity to incite or disrupt an orderly situation will not be permitted.
Past GM strikes
This morning's walkout was the first in Janesville since workers went on strike in October 1996 over local issues. That strike lasted seven days and ended when UAW workers ratified a local agreement with General Motors. Four days later, the local union ratified a national contract between the UAW and GM.
Previous walkouts by autoworkers at the Janesville GM plant:
1936-Sit-down strike, which resulted in the first contract for recognition of the union, signed Feb. 11, 1937.
1945-46-About 118 days, beginning Nov. 11, 1945
1958-16 days starting Oct. 2
1961-10 days starting Sept. 11
1964-33 days starting Sept. 25
1969-21 days staring April 28
1970-80 days starting Sept. 14
1971-21 days starting Feb. 22
1972-Three mini-strikes: Two days in October, two days in November and one day in December
1976-One day
1996-Seven days starting Oct. 29
Source: Janesville Gazette files
Strike pay
Once the United Auto Worker's International Executive Board authorizes a strike, the striking members are eligible for benefits from the UAW Strike Fund. Current strike benefits are $200 per week plus health care coverage and life insurance.
To receive strike benefits, a member must take part in picket line duty and/or other strike support activities.
The average GM hourly worker in 2006 was paid wages of about $1,500 a week.
