BY JOHN STUDER
CHICAGO - Seventy-five members of United Steelworkers of
America Local 15271 and their supporters rallied April 30
outside Tool & Engineering Company in the Pilsen neighborhood
here to show their determination to continue their strike
until they win.
About 130 Steelworkers have been on strike at the plant since last November, fighting against deep concession demands by the company. They include what the union calculates would amount to a cut of $14,000 per worker per year. Twenty workers have crossed the picket lines and the company has hired a handful of additional "temporary" workers since the strike began.
The company's owner, William Farley, is the highest-paid corporate officer in Chicago.
After hearing from a number of local political figures and union officials, strikers chanted "Scabs out! Union in!"
John Studer is a member of United Steelworkers local 1011 at LTV Steel in East Chicago.