walkout

Fifty Days and Counting

The workers at Flemming Steel, who went on strike fifty days ago, are still striking. The walkout began when Chuck Roste, Chief Executive Officer, announced a cut in wages. The plant's employees had already agreed to a temporary decrease in wages to help keep the plant open during its financial difficulties. However, when a proposal for additional cuts was made, the workers objected, and many threatened to quit.


Flemming Steel has been trying to handle this problem for the past several years. At one point, there was even talk of closing down the plant.

Employees were faced with a choice of either losing their jobs or accepting wage cuts. Chuck Roste explains: "Foreign competition has nearly shut us down. We couldn't have predicted the effect of this competition. Under the circumstances, there just wasn't any other choice but to lower salaries."

Hank Wiskowski, who represents the employees, disagrees: "The management should have seen how the industry was changing. If they had been more aware of the strength of the competition, we would all be in the plant now, working."

So far negotiations have been unproductive. The two sides agree on one thing, though.

Neither Flemming Steel nor the strikers want the plant to close down. As one striker's wife says, "If it weren't for the plant, many people in this region wouldn't be able to make a living. If it weren't for the loyalty of the workers until now, the plant would not have survived as long as it has."

It seems that Flemming will either have to find a solution to its problems or close its doors for good.