Yes WANE-15 and INC, there are striking workers picketing outside the Aunt Millie’s headquarters on Pearl Street.
However, once again they left out a vital piece of the story in their reporting, which only if you were actively involved in the unions might you know. Â Teamsters Union Local #51, #164 and #580 are out of Michigan. Â None of the local-Local unions are involved.
Here’s a brief summary of the situation from Aunt Millies:
- Teamsters Union Local #164 and #580 went on strike September 4th, 2009. Striking employees are 100 route sales representatives (RSRs) from Aunt Millie’s sales branches in Adrian, Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Jackson, Lansing and Temperance, Michigan.
- Teamsters Union Local #51 went on strike Sept. 3. Striking employees are 120 RSRs, loaders and merchandisers from Aunt Millie’s sales branches in Dearborn, Mt. Clemens and White Lake, Michigan.
- At issue with #164 and #580 are two-tiered wage structures and a competitive pricing provision.
- At issue with #51 are wage concessions requested by the company in order to become profitable in the Detroit market.
- Aunt Millie’s has been negotiating in good faith with its Michigan groups and hopes the strike will end soon.
- We will continue to make every effort to serve our customers during the work stoppage.
Does the bargaining affect the Fort Wayne employees? Seems to me that union workers are being asked to give more and more. What most people don’t understand – or care to understand – is that only 7.5% of the private work force is unionized. Yet, everything one hears gives the impression that unions have way more power than they do. I call this scapegoating although many would disagree.
Corporations are out to break the remaining 7.5% of the work force, and, in today’s economy, they may very well do it.
Union workers aren’t the only ones being asked to give more and more. Workers across the board are being asked for the same thing – union or not. The difference is, those who aren’t unionized don’t have anyone that “has their backs”. They don’ t have the “power” that unions do.
“4.At issue with #51 are wage concessions requested by the company in order to become profitable in the Detroit market.”
Good luck with that…
What is their health care costs also. #5 The company always seem to have the Good Faith angle also.