BY KEVIN DWIRE
NILES, Ohio - "One day longer!" was the slogan of the day
as 750 unionists and supporters rallied to back the 500
Steelworkers on strike at RMI Titanium. That spirit of
strength and solidarity was reflected by the fighters who
attended the rally. "These people forcing us out on strike
made a big mistake," striker Russell Jones told the Militant.
"It's just made us stronger. What RMI is doing is not going
to work in their favor."
"We made RMI $125 million in the last 18 months and this is how they treat us," Bob Walsh, president United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 2155, told the rally. "We want you to know, RMI, that after six months, 2155 and 2155-7 are strong and solid."
The strikers hit the picket lines Oct. 1, 1998. The company had demanded a two-tier wage structure, take backs on the pension plan and profit sharing, and sweeping work rule changes. If the company had its way, "a new hire would make $9 an hour, and receive no pension ever. If we let that happen, shame on us," said Theodore Akins, a crane operator.
The rally was held in Waddell Park, across the street from the RMI plant. Several times the crowd turned to wave at the company cameras that constantly monitor the picket line. Strikers are prohibited by a federal restraining order from having still cameras, video cameras, or even a pencil and paper on the picket line to record the arrival and departure of vehicles into the plant. Federal marshals are also patrolling the picket line as part of the order, issued at the request of the National Labor Relations Board following a police attack on the picket line February 12.
Solidarity plant gate collections
Solidarity donations collected by union locals at plant
gates throughout the area were presented to the strikers
during the rally. Members of the Teamsters; United Auto
Workers; International Union of Electronic Workers; American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Service
Employees International Union; United Food and Commercial
Workers; and others brought money to support the 500
strikers. A big cheer went up when Kerry Flannigan from USWA
Local 1375 at WCI Steel in Warren, Ohio, announced they had
raised $4,100 in plant gate donations. Steelworkers at WCI
won a strike battle in 1995, and have made their union hall
available for social and fund-raising activities for the RMI
strikers.
Strikers sold tickets for a 50/50 raffle, with half the proceeds going to the strike fund and half to the holder of the winning ticket. Mark Bayless, vice president of the Columbiana County AFL-CIO, didn't hesitate to return his $1,100 winnings to the strike, and was warmly applauded by the crowd.
The Youngstown Vindicator, a daily paper that has backed RMI during the strike, ran a front page article the day of the rally headlined "RMI strike takes toll on workers." The paper reported the rally would be held to "encourage" workers who "never dreamed that they would go six months without a paycheck" and "didn't realize the strike would become violent and result in a few of their union members being sued, arrested, and fired."
The strikers' attitude, however, is quite the opposite. "Six months into the strike, we're stronger," said striker Rick Maines. Maines is one of the first strikers scheduled to be deposed in a lawsuit the company has filed against the union. Depositions were scheduled to begin March 29 in Cleveland.
Eleven strikers received letters from the company March 16 saying they were fired because of action "against the company and/or its employees during the ongoing strike." Striker Paul Moore, one of the fired workers, told the Vindicator, "The one good thing that has come from this strike is the fact that I have been able to really get to know the other union workers and we have all pulled together." He added, "When word got out that I had been fired, people have come up to me and offered money."
RMI steelworkers and supporters pitched in to ensure the smooth functioning of the event. Squads of strikers in bright orange shirts formed the "Local 2155 Safety Patrol" to direct traffic inside the park. Following the rally participants crossed the park for a cookout hosted by the Spouses Committee. Supporters from local unions pitched in.
Four steelworkers from MSI in Marietta, Ohio, made the trip to bring solidarity to the strike. They recently won a two- year fight for their first contract. "It was nice to get back out since we've been back to work and run into people we met during the strike," said MSI worker Kathy Ward. "We will never forget, and we'll keep going out. It's the right thing to do." Ward is looking forward to the April 24 rally called to support locked-out workers at Kaiser Aluminum in Newark, Ohio.
RMI strikers were eager to meet two fighters from Monarch Rubber in Spencer, West Virginia. Randy Whytsell and James Metheney, members of the Laborers Union, talked about their two-year fight for a contract. The RMI and Monarch strikers swapped experiences and lessons from their fights, and several RMI strikers immediately began making plans to visit the Monarch picket lines, exchanging phone numbers to stay in touch. "The faces are different, but the stories are the same," said Whytsell following his discussions with the RMI strikers.
Boss, cops attack W. Virginia workers
Johnny Lynch, a retired member of USWA Local 5668 at
Century Aluminum in Ravenswood, West Virginia, came with the
Monarch strikers. Lynch has been helping to build support for
the workers, who receive no strike benefits. He told the
Militant about a recent attack by Monarch against Ravenswood
Steelworkers who traveled to Spencer to visit the strikers
March 24.
"We took my motor home and about 100 hot dogs to have a cookout with the strikers," he said. "The police came by and told us we couldn't have the cookout on the picket line, that we had to go to the other side of the street, so we said OK and moved over there." A truck pulling into the Monarch plant swerved close to the Steelworkers, and they responded by banging on it. The plant manager came out and attacked one of the Ravenswood workers, who defended himself. "Two foremen and a scab came out of the plant then and joined in. Two of them grabbed the Steelworker and took him to the side of the building and tried to beat him, but he was able to defend himself."
When the police came, "the manager and four scabs swore that the Steelworker struck first, and the police arrested him," Lynch said. He added the Ravenswood worker was charged with assault and two counts of obstructing justice.
Lynch and the Monarch strikers are already planning to attend the April 24 Kaiser rally. "We want to rent a big trailer and take up a food collection from locals in West Virginia," said Lynch.
WASN radio personality Chris Montgomery, who offers his morning talk show as a forum for the strikers, was joined by 20 strikers and supporters for the start of a march from Niles to the USX headquarters in Pittsburgh on March 29. The steel giant is a part owner of RMI. Strikers previously rallied at the USX headquarters March 10.
The march is planned to cover 20 miles a day, arriving in Pittsburgh April 1.
Kevin Dwire is a member of UAW Local 1196 in Cleveland. Mike Fitzsimmons, Leroy Watson, and Marty Ressler contributed to this article.