Workers approved a new contract on May 18. The previous day 450 strikers at Hollander in Los Angeles voted to end their strike and the 100 union members in Tignall, Georgia, who had been honoring a picket line set up by their fellow unionists in California, announced they are returning to work.

Workers here report they won significant improvements in the health insurance plan and prescription drug program. The new contract provides a 25-cent wage increase the first year and 20 cents the following two years. "We didn't get the company contributions into a 401 (k) retirement plan," reported Mary Ann Subick, "but the company will pick up the service fee. At least we got a foot in the door."

Union members feel their strike put them in a stronger position to fight against health and safety hazards in the plant, for changes in the attendance policy, and against increased work given to piece rate workers.

The strike here won support from other workers in the area. They were joined on the picket line by garment workers, members of the Teamsters, service workers, and municipal unions. Even as strikers here were taking down their picket line after ratifying the contract, a boilermaker came by the line with 30 chicken dinners he had cooked for the strikers, and a laid off coal miner dropped by with a personal contribution for the strike.

Remarking on their decision three weeks ago to set up picket lines and join their fellow unionists on strike in California, Diane Beckett, a single needle operator in the plant, explained, "How could we not have voted to strike? We would be letting them down."

"We have Los Angeles to thank for going out," said Subick. "They gave us the courage to stand up here. Otherwise we might not have gone out on strike and just took whatever Hollander said was their last best offer."

As Kassie Harding and Linda Kairitis were dismantling the picket tent and organizing to return co-workers' belongings to them Friday afternoon, Harding said this strike had changed them all. "This was a great experience. It was like a block party without beer. We went to Baltimore to support the laundry workers who are fighting for a union. We went to IKEA in Philadelphia" to inform the company and its customers about the strike issues.

Kairitis added, "For most of us this was our first time on strike. We're not going to stop. Now we're ready to go wherever the union needs us for solidarity."

"When we go back in the plant on Monday, I hope nobody walks in with their eyes down or their head down," said Subick. "We waged one hell of a fight and we should walk in there proud as peacocks."
 
 
Related articles:
Laundry workers strike for a union in Baltimore
Returning 'proud as peacocks'
In Los Angeles, UNITE strikers are stronger at end of walkout  
 
 
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