More than 1,000 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) at four locations across the US will vote to authorize a strike against auto parts and rubber engineered products manufacturer Veyance Technologies later this week.  Union representatives from Lincoln, Neb.; Marysville and St. Mary’s, Ohio; and Sun Prairie, Wisc. have been in talks with Veyance Technologies, a spin-off of Goodyear’s engineered products division, for several weeks.  

Workers are concerned that the company’s demands for workplace flexibility will shift costs onto employees and undermine seniority protections, allowing favoritism to run rampant in the facilities.  “We’re always willing to talk about ways to improve productivity in our facilities,” said Emil Ramirez, USW bargaining coordinator. ”But we need to make sure that we maintain fair work rules and a decent quality of life for our members ... more