LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — Workers at the Batesville Products aluminum casting and finishing foundry here went out on strike May 11. The workers —machinists, polishers, and shipping and receiving workers who are members of Teamsters Local 135 — are fighting for union recognition. Their key demands are higher wages, less forced overtime and better workplace conditions.
“We’re in a dirty environment, very hot, and we’ve been working a mandatory 60-hour week since February,” Jeff Vogt, a machinist who has worked for 12 years at the plant, told the Militant.
“Sixteen out of the 17 workers signed cards for the union,” Vogt said. The workers requested the bosses recognize the union, but they refused. The union filed for a National Labor Relations Board election, but the company has tried to delay the vote and weaken support for the union. “That’s why we voted unanimously to strike,” Vogt said.
“We had a good show of solidarity out here yesterday, with members from Teamsters Locals 100 and 89 turning out,” Tina Olinger, a union steward at Horseshoe Casino in Indianapolis, told the Militant. She spent the whole day on the picket line May 15.
Ethan Turner, 21, has been on the job for three months. “Of course I signed for the union,” he said. “My previous job was union and the more senior guys working, who’ve been here a decade or more, said we need the union. I agreed.”
“This is about workers standing together and demanding a voice in their workplace,” Teamsters Local 135 President Dustin Roach told the media. The workers are prepared “to stand together on the picket line for as long as it takes to win the dignity, respect and representation they deserve.”
Come show solidarity! Join the picket at 434 Margaret Street.