Exactly one year after a tie vote prevented the USW from representing employees at Carmeuse Lime Co., the hourly  production and maintenance workers made a bold and convincing statement, voting by a more than two-to-one margin for Steelworkers representation.

It's safe to say, the Bettsville, Ohio, workers have learned their lesson.

"I think the company looked at that (2004 tie) vote and thought we were all happy. I think they thought they had enough people scared that they could do just about anything they wanted and we would still vote against the union," said Darrell Mock, who was recently elected to the Negotiating Committee.

As it turns out the company was wrong - the workers were paying attention and they didn't really care for what they were seeing.

During the last year, Mock said the company had reduced their annual pay raise from three percent to one percent and changed the company-sponsored health care plan, reducing benefits and raising out-of-pocket expenses.

"Every year it seems like something else gets taken away. More and more they keep digging into our pockets.  I think our people started to realize they had made a mistake by not voting in the union last time around," Mock said. "This vote was not even close."

Workers felt they should have won the 2004 election, but a questionable NLRB ruling allowed four supervisors, who were termed "group leaders," to vote no.

Workers at Carmeuse take raw limestone and bake it in large ovens. The resulting, softened limestone is then used in the steel, glass and pharmaceutical industry. Workers produce about 1,000 tons of product each day.

Despite the company's stall tactics, contract negotiations are scheduled to begin Nov. 1.

"This is a very profitable company. They operate about 14 plants in North America," Mock said. "We just feel it's time to get to work on getting back some of the things we have lost."  

Our new members became part of USW District 1 where Dave McCall is Director. Jim Newport, Ramona Arnold, Nellie Caraballo, Jim Lee and Sarah Smith were all active in the organizing campaign.

The USW is the largest industrial union in North America, representing more than 850,000 workers.

For more information, contact the USW at (877) 511-8792
For an Organizing Contact Request Form, click HERE