BY ANGEL LARISCY AND KAY SEDAM
CLEWISTON, Florida - About 100 striking members of International Association of Machinists (IAM) Local 57 spanned three blocks of the main street of this town February 22 as they rallied outside the headquarters of U.S. Sugar Corp. Members of the union and their families enthusiastically waved picket signs amid the honks of passing cars and trucks showing their support.

Two blocks away, dozens of IAM members picketed outside the gates of the U.S. Sugar plant, which they were striking for the first time in 24 years.

At midnight on February 19 more than 900 members of the IAM walked out at the two organized plants of U.S. Sugar Corp. in Clewiston and Pahokee, Florida. U.S. Sugar, based in Clewiston, is Florida's largest sugar company. Last summer U.S. Sugar and United Sugars Corp., based in Minnesota, formed a sales agreement that resulted in controlling about 25 percent of the U.S. market for refined sugar. Florida leads the nation in sugar cane production.

As the Militant went to press, the strikers narrowly approved a new contract and returned to work.

U.S. Sugar owns 165,000 acres of sugar cane fields along the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee in the center of the state. The harvesting is done by nonunion agricultural workers, most of whom are immigrants. The two struck mills grind sugar cane, which is then boiled and separated into raw sugar and molasses.

The company's contract offer demanded that the union accept a paltry 5 percent pay increase over three years; continue the two-tier wage system that was implemented in 1995; cut work hours for heavy equipment operators; as well as cut guaranteed work hours over all. The union overwhelmingly rejected the offer and went on strike.

James, 23-year-old Chicano who asked that his last name not be printed, was hired three years ago, one month after the two-tier wage structure went into effect. He started as a laborer at $6.56 an hour when weeks before the starting wage was $9.32. "I don't think it's fair for two people to work side by side and one gets less than the other," he commented. This worker also expressed his opinion that the company would like to fire some of the older workers and hire new people at the lower wage.

One of the issues striking workers consider important is fighting for a guaranteed income over the year. They work massive amounts of overtime for half the year, then are laid off until the next harvest season. During the five months of the cane harvest, the mills run seven days a week, 24-hours-a- day. What the company has proposed is cutting the harvest season workweek by two hours each year of the contract. By the end of the contract guaranteed work hours will be cut from 56 per week to 50, while producing the same amount of product.

Jack Brown works as a back hoe operator and has a total of 36 years with U.S. Sugar. He noted that in the past 10 years the company has doubled its production. "We just want them to stop taking away," Brown explained as he voiced his opposition to the company's proposal to begin forcing heavy equipment drivers to clock in and out when they reach the field instead of when they leave the plant. "They also use the two-tier to try to get us divided among ourselves," he commented. Bailey Walker, a 58-year-old Black worker, said, "This time they didn't give us enough to live with." Walker, who has 26 years in the plant, added, "We have to get something for those who come after us. The company keeps pushing and pushing. Now they want us to pay more for our insurance too."

U.S. Sugar also owns a nonunion mill in nearby Belle Glade, which they say they might use to process cane during the strike. The company has threatened to hire replacement workers if the strike continues. "We've begun lining up ways to get replacement workers and are going to move in that direction very shortly," said Robert Buker, senior vice president of corporate affairs. "If they were to do this it would have grave safety implications," remarked Randy Jarvis, a shop steward in the mill. "They can barely run the mill safely with workers who know what they are doing," he continued. "If the company were to start up the mill with uncertified workers the boilers could blow up. Not only would that be devastating for the workers but would effect all the people in the area." Several years ago one worker was killed when a boiler blew up.

The union and the company went back to the bargaining table February 22. Other unionists, such as members of the Communication Workers of America from West Palm Beach, have come to the picket line to show solidarity with the strike

"The town has been very supportive of our strike. Grocery stores have contributed food and beverages," reported Jarvis.

Workers say they are not sure how long the strike will last but they are prepared to fight. James thought the strike was important because, "The fastest way of getting nowhere is doing nothing."

The Miami Herald reported that Lee County sheriff deputies were sent February 23 to protect scabs from entering the plant.

Kay Sedam is a member of the United Transportation Union. Bill Kalman, also a member of the UTU, contributed to this article.  
 
 
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