Workers want “successor clause” in new labor contract
Local reports detail that workers at Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry in Manitowoc, WI, initiated a strike on February 1. Members of Local 301 of Glass, Molders, and Pottery International Union have been without a labor contract since midnight, January 31.
According to a union representative, the primary issue holding up a new contract is a “successor clause,” which would require any new owner of the foundry to adhere to the terms of the contract.
The union has 38 members at the foundry, including some who are now laid off. The United Steelworkers union also represents about 150 workers there.
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry is a 100-year-old operation that produces aluminum and brass castings for a wide range of markets, including commercial, diesel, heavy equipment, and marine engines. It also has a proprietary line of cast aluminum cookware.
