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They must be giants
Small local stands up to corporate power, greed

by Alvin L. Smith Local 2281

When David won't give in to Goliath, the giant can get pretty nasty.
That historic battle was replayed between the 22 members of UAW Local 2281 and Jim Walters, Inc., headquartered in Tampa, Fla., the same company which owns major coal mines around Birmingham, Ala.

The 22 UAW members are employed at Southern Precision Corp. in Irondale, a suburb of Birmingham. They perform machine and fabrication work for major pipe manufacturers, including U.S. Pipe and Clow, Inc. Jim Walters Inc. owns Southern Precision.

On November 21, when its collective bargaining agreement expired with Southern Precision, the local union vowed not to give in to the unreasonable demands being made by management at the bargaining table. These demands would have taken away two holidays and overtime pay after eight hours. Also, management insisted that there would be no hourly wage increase in the first year of the agreement.

When the Local 2281 members refused to give in to these demands, the company locked the employees out and has refused to meet with the union, saying their position has not changed. The International UAW has filed numerous National Labor Relations Board charges against the company, including unfair labor practice charges, stating this is an unlawful lockout of the employees. The union is currently awaiting a decision on these charges.

On Feb. 19, the company terminated the lockout and announced that for employees to return to work they must agree to accept the last offer on the table or be considered on strike. The 22 Davids stood up to Goliath by voting not to accept the company's final offer.
This is a great bunch of guys, and some of the most dedicated union members I have ever had the pleasure of being affiliated with in my life. Although theirs is not a big local, they are giants to me.