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Workers reject contract, go on strike at local plant

Photos: Workers strike at local plant

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Jim Alford, a Dayton resident, walks a picket line Monday, March 8, 2010. Members of Local 225 AFL-CIO International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are striking at Chemineer Inc, located on Poe Ave, in Dayton.

Staff photo by Ron Alvey Jim Alford, a Dayton resident, walks a picket line Monday, March 8, 2010. Members of Local 225 AFL-CIO International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are striking at Chemineer Inc, located on Poe Ave, in Dayton.

Staff Report Updated 12:18 PM Monday, March 8, 2010

HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — Union employees at Chemineer Inc., after unanimously rejecting a new three-year contract proposal from the company, are on strike. No new negotiations have been scheduled, union and company spokesmen said Monday, March 8.

Union members objected to proposed changes in seniority procedures, work rules and benefits, officials of Local 225 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said. It is the first time in at least 35 years that the employees have gone on strike, said Harry Grooms, union committee chairman.

Union officials said the rejected contract would have required employees to work overtime, rather than voluntary overtime; would freeze wages for three years; stop company contributions to an employee pension plan and replace it with a 401(k) plan, and give the company more flexibility in changing health care plans and premiums.

“The membership felt like it was a slap in the face,” Grooms said Monday.

Jeff Halsey, vice president for human resources for the parent company Robbins & Myers Inc., said he would not comment publicly on what he regards as negotiating issues to be discussed privately with the union.

Negotiations continued for three weeks until Friday night when the company called a halt and left the union with the contract proposal. Union workers voted 62-0 on Saturday to reject it, and set up picket lines at midnight Saturday at Chemineer’s headquarters at 5870 Poe Ave.

The bargaining unit includes 64 active employees and seven laid-off workers. Under the old three-year contract that expired at midnight March 6, the workers were paid an average of $22.85 per hour. Their duties include machining, welding and assembly work. The company makes chemical mixing equipment.

Union officials claimed that Chemineer wants to increase its profit margin from 5 percent to 15 percent.

Halsey declined to respond specifically to that. He said: “Of course, we’re interested in maximizing value for our shareholders.”

Management hopes to resolve the issues with employees and return to normal operations as soon as possible, Halsey said.

The union is waiting to hear from the company about a resumption of negotiations, Grooms said.

Chemineer, founded in 1952, designs and manufactures fluid agitation equipment and systems. It also has manufacturing operations in Massachusetts, Canada and England.

Chemineer serves customers in the chemical, water and wastewater treatment, plastics and resins, petrochemical, pulp, paper and pharmaceutical industries.

Staff Writer John Nolan contributed to this story.

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