Union Pursues Illegal Lockout Allegations with Labor Board

The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that 51 members of its Local 6996 this weekend marked six-months on the picket line since being illegally locked-out of their jobs on March 6, 2011 by Hofmann Industries, a steel tube fabricator in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.

Last week, the USW updated its charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to reflect that the company has continually failed to provide the union with information or documentation it needs to address Hofmann’s claims at the bargaining table, bolstering its case that Hofmann’s lockout is illegal.

“From the beginning, we’ve been willing to make reasonable sacrifices on economic, productivity and other issues,” said USW Representative Steve Gombos, “but the company either cannot or will not justify its demand that the USW-represented hourly workers accept cuts that the company’s other stakeholders aren’t being asked to take ... more