Support locked-out workers
Locked out Workers at Cooper Tire and American Crystal Sugar will be in Chicago as part of a multi-state tour on Saturday, February 25.
PHOTO GALLERY: Saturday's action against American Crystal Sugar with Chicago union members and BCTGM
UPDATE: The USW and Cooper Tire have reached a tentative agreement to end the lockout. As a result, the 10:00 action at NTB has been cancelled. The 1:30 action will continue as planned.
On Wednesday, locked out workers from American Crystal Sugar Co. and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. began their "Journey for Justice," a 1,000 mile journey across the heartland to call attention to their struggles and the ongoing corporate and political assault on America's working families. Members of the Bakery Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) and the United Steelworkers (USW) will stop in Chicago as part of a six-day, six-state tour.
On Saturday, February 25, we'll rally with our brothers and sisters from BCTGM and USW in Chicago in support of these locked out workers.
1:30pm
Wal-Mart
570 W. Monroe St.
Chicago, IL
On August 1, 201 1, American Crystal Sugar Co. - the nation's largest sugar beet processor - locked out 1,300 union workers in Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota. The company made nearly $2 billion in profits over the last three years, but still demanded huge cuts from workers: on healthcare, the right to outsource work, and the elimination of other benefits. Workers tried to reach a fair deal, but the company shut its doors and instigated a lockout that has lasted 6 months.
On November 28, 201 1, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. locked out workers in its hometown of Findlay, Ohio. Years earlier, those workers had taken $31 million in pay and benefits cuts to keep the company running through the recession. When the economy improved and Cooper Tire started to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits, the executives handed themselves huge raises and bonuses. The workers who sacrificed to keep the company alive were locked out and asked to give up more.
We'll leaflet and rally outside of these locations to help raise public awareness about the situation at Cooper Tire and American Crystal Sugar. We hope you can join us on this important day of action for America's working people.
