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Behr workers pass contract

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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer Updated 9:10 PM Tuesday, November 24, 2009

DAYTON — Behr Thermal Products workers voted Tuesday, Nov. 24, to pass a proposed contract – a move the company has said will save its Webster Street plant.

The pact passed 538-261, said Harry Bogan, district director for the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communication Workers of America, which represents workers at the company’s Dayton plant.

“We were really pleased with the outcome,” Bogan said.

Leaders of Behr North America said that the plant’s future depended on passage of the tentative contract. They said they needed lower labor costs, particularly after the recent recession.

“Well, I mean, what alternative do they have?” Bogan said of his members after the vote. “It’s either that (passage) or no job.”

Whenever a company offers to open its financial books for a union — as Behr did for the IUE-CWA — that’s usually a sign that the business is in trouble, Bogan said.

Earlier Tuesday, IUE-CWA Local 775 members were weighing their options.

“I don’t think anybody’s happy with it,” said Sandra Conn, a Huber Heights resident and nine-year Behr worker “But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do in order to keep your job.”

Last month, Behr workers rejected an earlier proposal 787-43. Leaders of the company and the union returned to the bargaining table in recent weeks to hammer out a new tentative agreement.

John Ejinaka, a Dayton resident who has worked at the former Chrysler plant for 14 years, wasn’t sure how he was going to vote Tuesday afternoon. “I’m really worried because this is our livelihood,” Ejinaka said in the parking lot of the union hall before he voted.

A spokeswoman for Behr has said that the plant has been operating at “an increasing loss” since 2007 “despite our best efforts.”

Spokeswoman Indira Sadikovic declined to say exactly last month how much the plant’s loss since 2007 has been. But she said the plant’s loss this year is forecast to be in the “double-digit” millions.

“I’m not really sure if they’re bluffing,” Ejinaka said of the company’s statements. “I guess I’d like to keep my job.”

Worker John Frost, a veteran of nine years at the plant, said he “voted 'yes’ because it (the most recent contract offer) was better than the original.”

Frost said last month’s contract proposal would have had workers paying a health insurance co-pay of $150 for emergency room visits, while the latest proposal would withdraw $27 a week from workers’ checks for such visits.

Neither company nor union leaders have revealed details of the newest contract proposal.

Sadikovic said Tuesday the stakes of the vote haven’t changed.

Behr, a producer of automotive air-conditioning and engine-cooling systems, had some 1,500 employees in August 2007. Behr formed a joint venture with then-Daimler Chrysler in 2002, taking full ownership of the local plant in 2004.

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I am glad for my co workers that the contract passed but as long as they got idots like todd mcgee there they will always be in trouble thanks for firing me lil racist buddie i have my own business now calling my own shots thanks to you.So when you go around bragging about firing people you done me the biggest favor ever.im making way more than i was at behr thanks again todd mcgay i mean mcgee

gotohellmcgee
2:15 PM, 12/11/2009

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this is for exfactory worker . i would say thats why you`re a ex, you couldn`t handle the work. belielive it or not but there`s alot of hard working people that show up everyday and work very hard. and go home and still work another six hours .you know dinner, laundry, helping kids with home work, and many other things. at least we`re in there working paying taxes, payingour own way in life so get a life yourself and stay the---- out of ours. thank you

worker
7:48 PM, 11/25/2009

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The typical unskilled person in this country is way overpaid compared to the rest of the world. The only reason other factories pay more or the same as a union shop is that they are afraid the union will come in. They don't want the union to come in so they pay them well and give them benefits. In a non-union workplace your skill set and work ethic is nothing that can't be replaced with the next person in line. A unionized workforce can't be replaced as easily. Try to fire some and see.

X-FACTORYMAN
4:41 PM, 11/25/2009

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TRS this is not even a step into the right direction at Behr. It is not even close to reality of the real world today in manufacturing. That company can't make money there. They can't even get 90% of the workforce to show up for work daily. They can't move a person place to place where they need work to be done. If someone calls in sick they have hoops and hurdles to go through to get someone to take their place. Around the world that type of work pays about 2.50./hr at the most.

X-FACTORYMAN
4:31 PM, 11/25/2009

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Executives make more money because they have "soft" skills that are not easily quantifiable. On the other end, you can train a monkey to do most factory work. Of course, executives deserve to be paid more. Based on the skill level, these workers dont deserve to be paid more than $10 an hour.

Bert
2:57 PM, 11/25/2009

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