Auburn (WSYR-TV) – TRW workers in Auburn went on strike around midnight and are on the picket line on Tuesday after rejecting the company’s final contract proposal.
Workers spent the overnight shift marching the perimeter of the auto electronics parts plant.
Talks broke down a few hours before the contract expired at 12:01 a.m. At that point, workers at the plant put down their time sheets and left the property to be greeted by dozens of co-workers.
International Chemical Workers Union Local 192 President Gregory Large said that three years ago, workers gave back nearly a dollar an hour as well as holiday and incentive pay, along with vacation time.
They are now being told they won’t receive raises unless they agree to let the company bring in temporary workers and change the shift structure from a five-day work week to four or three day weeks in some cases.
“They are bringing new work here in Auburn for the Chrysler Corporation and it seems as though they bid their job with the intention that they were going to have the flexible workforce to change the shift structure,” said Large.
“When they bring in the temps, they’ll be non-union, which of course everybody knows the next three years, when the contract comes up again, these people will be trained, so when we go out on strike, they could sit there and say ‘You don’t have a job. These people are taking your jobs,’” said Christine Harmon, a production associate at the plant.
The company did not return phone calls from NewsChannel 9 for comment.
The union has scheduled a meeting this Wednesday to attempt negotiations again.
