BY JOSHUA CARROLL AND TOM SMITH
EAST PEORIA, Illinois-"No matter how long it takes, we'll be
there," declared Jim Clingan in welcoming more than 250 people
to a Christmas party for strikers against Tazewell Machine
Works and their families on December 12. Clingan is the
president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 974, which
organizes workers at Caterpillar Inc. here. Eighty-two members
of UAW Local 2283 have been on strike against Tazewell in
Pekin, Illinois, since October 5. Their contract expired on
September 11. The company makes parts for Caterpillar.
At the event, hundreds of gifts were given to the children of the striking workers, along with groceries and financial contributions. Most of the presents were donated by UAW members at Caterpillar plants in the region and the Mitsubishi plant in Bloomington.
Local 974 retirees staffed the Tazewell picket lines that evening so that all the strikers could attend. Retirees also staffed the picket lines several weeks earlier so that strikers could attend the funeral of a co-worker who died in a hunting accident.
Chad Hartley, president of the striking local, spoke following Clingan. He vowed that with the solidarity and help of unionists in the region, "We will stay out one day longer" than Henry Cakora, the would-be union-buster who owns Tazewell Machine.
Kenny Minton, a member of Local 974 who helped organize the event, explained, "We learned how to help other people through our struggle." Minton was referring to the recent seven-year contract fight UAW members waged against Caterpillar. "These fighters are not alone," he continued. "We all need to stick together."
Blaine Arendt, a worker at Caterpillar in Aurora, Illinois, who had driven more than two hours to be present, echoed these sentiments. "After the support we got, I hate to let a strike go by without helping out," he said.
One of the main demands of the strike is that Tazewell Machine continue to provide a "dues check-off." This allows the union to collect all dues money in a single payment deducted from individual members' paychecks. Cakora's demand to eliminate this is a direct attack on the union, said Terry Beebe, a machinist and a negotiator for the union.
Cakora's intent to break the union is made clear by many of his comments. For example, he described the union as "communist, un-American, and run by mobsters," and told workers that they "would never work for me again so long as you have the union," according to Nathan White, a foundry worker at Tazewell. The union has filed numerous unfair labor practice charges against Cakora.
One hundred percent of the membership of the local is out on strike. Two workers who refused to join the union have crossed the picket lines. As of December 14, Tazewell Machine has brought in 61 scabs.
Workers at Tazewell are also demanding better working conditions and benefits. Currently, workers have no retirement plan and must contribute an average of $70 per week for family medical insurance, which does not even include dental and optical coverage. In addition, Tazewell wants workers with 10 years or more seniority to pay a $3,000 annual deductible for health care.
Cakora and the city of Pekin have gone after the right of UAW members to picket, filing for an injunction against strikers that would prevent them from using burn barrels, portable toilets, and a picket shack near the plant. This would make it difficult to maintain picket lines during the winter months, when temperatures drop well below freezing. Tazewell is also trying to limit the number of strikers who may picket at one time by filing a lawsuit accusing strikers of harassing and intimidating scabs. The lawsuit alleges that strikers are responsible for slashing tires, throwing rocks, causing property damage, and other violent behavior. Yet, "with all their security cameras and guards," White said, "Tazewell can't produce a shred of evidence." Meanwhile, company security guards have begun carrying billy clubs to intimidate strikers.
At the picket lines, strikers could not emphasize enough the support and solidarity they have received from unionists and other members of the community. Many commented that without such backing, they could not have stayed out so long. They described contributions of food, clothing, and firewood that come in on a daily basis. A number of strikers noted one particular elderly woman who every other week drops off four logs, one pot of soup, and a check for $100. "Her four logs probably burn for about eight minutes, but that's not the point," commented Fred Bennett, who has worked at Tazewell for 10 years.
Dan LeMasters, another striker, described the way strikers are received in the community. "When you wear your union jacket out in public all sorts of people come up to you and thank you for sticking together and keeping the union strong. They're proud of us.
"Henry Cakora doesn't expect to see us back in the plant," LeMasters continued, "but we'll be back in there."
Tom Smith is a member of UAW Local 974 at Caterpillar. Sarah Katz contributed to this article.