Labor Strikes Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Employees At South Charleston Union Carbide Plant Strike

Nearly 80 employees at a Kanawha County chemical plant have gone on strike over pay and benefits concerns.

Updated on Wednesday, October 23 at 10:10 a.m.

Nearly 80 employees at a Kanawha County chemical plant have gone on strike over pay and benefits concerns.

Workers at the South Charleston Manufacturing Site Plant voted to strike Monday, according to a press release from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). The South Charleston-based IAM Local 598 chapter represents workers on site.

The chemical plant is operated by Union Carbide Corporation, a subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company. Union Carbide was obtained by the multinational corporation in 2001, according to its website.

The union members’ previous contracts expired Sunday. Then, 77 IAM members began striking “to secure fair wages and protect their right to holidays and vacations as part of their benefits package,” according to a Monday statement from IAM District 54 President and Directing Business Representative T. Dean Wright Jr.

Wright’s district represents members in Ohio, West Virginia and northeastern Indiana. IAM represents roughly 600,000 members across different industries nationally, according to the union’s website.

Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 598 chapter continued their strike in South Charleston Tuesday.

*Photo Credit: Emily Rice/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“Our members working at Dow Chemical perform dangerous jobs that demand appropriate compensation and respect for their labor,” Wright continued in a Monday IAM press release. “They are simply asking for what is fair — recognition of the value they bring to the company.”

A media representative from Union Carbide wrote in an email to West Virginia Public Broadcasting that the company is actively meeting with union representatives “to conduct a productive and fair negotiation.”

“We are committed to continuing these discussions in good faith and are hopeful that we will reach a resolution soon,” they wrote. “Union Carbide Corporation remains committed to offering a competitive total rewards package, which includes fair wages and adequate holiday and vacation days. Our goal in these negotiations has always been to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that supports both our employees’ well-being and the company’s operational needs.”

Meanwhile, the representative said Union Carbide is “confident” it will be able to continue safely operating the site during the strike.

Representatives from Dow Chemical did not respond to phone call or email requests for comment from West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

IAM and its local South Charleston chapter also did not respond to email or phone call requests for further comment. Strikers at the South Charleston facility declined to provide a comment to West Virginia Public Broadcasting Tuesday.

Emily Rice contributed reporting to this story.

**Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include a written statement from Union Carbide Corporation, which was emailed to West Virginia Public Broadcasting after publication on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Auto Workers Strike May Ripple Into W.Va. Economy

The roughly 13,000 U.S. auto workers now on strike could affect West Virginia car dealers and customers in several ways.

Jared Wyrick, president of the West Virginia Auto Dealers Association, said striking workers representing all three Detroit automakers are targeting and shutting down plants.

“They’re targeting plants that make the more profitable vehicles, while minimizing the impact of the UAW strike fund,” Wyrick said. “They spared certain factories that produce the number one selling vehicles like the Ford F-150 and the Chevy Silverado and the RAM pickups. That leaves the union the option to make more damaging moves if the strike drags on.”

Wyrick’s association represents about 100 West Virginia car dealers. He said a prolonged strike will reignite an inventory challenge just now beginning to recover from pandemic supply chain issues.

“We were finally getting back to some normalcy, to pre-pandemic levels,” Wyrick said. “So, yes, this absolutely will exacerbate the problem.”

Labor and management remain far apart on proposed salary and benefit increases. The UAW demand is a 36 percent wage increase over four years. GM and Ford offered 20 percent and Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, offered 17 percent.

Wyrick said pay raises and higher car prices ultimately will come down on the backs of the consumer.

“They’re going to end up paying a good share of what this bargaining will end up being,” Wyrick said. “You will see an increase in prices based on what’s bargained and agreed upon.”

Wyrick said high interest rates are the largest impediment right now in selling vehicles, and a prolonged strike will push monthly payments even higher.

Rail Strike Could Halt Amtrak, Coal Shipments Weeks Before Holiday

If the impasse isn’t resolved by Dec. 5, more than 115,000 railroad employees could walk off the job. The last railroad strike was 30 years ago.

The threat of a railroad strike before Christmas looms once again.

On Monday, the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation-Transportation Division, one of the largest rail unions, rejected a deal negotiated by the Biden administration.

If the impasse isn’t resolved by Dec. 5, more than 115,000 railroad employees could walk off the job. The last railroad strike was 30 years ago.

In West Virginia, a rail strike would cripple coal production. Nearly 70 percent of coal moves by rail, and nearly all of it moves by train to the ports of Baltimore, and Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia.

Amtrak service in West Virginia would come to a halt, including the Capitol Limited and Cardinal routes. MARC commuter service to the Eastern Panhandle would be affected as well.

Railroads move about 40 percent of intercity freight, and there aren’t enough trucks, or truck drivers, to replace the trains and train crews. Finished automobiles, chemicals, animal feed, food products and consumer products would all come to a halt.

Though rail workers are set to get a pay increase, the sticking point is over quality of life issues. Rail management does not want to give workers paid sick leave, and some unions have balked at accepting a contract without it.

Striking Workers Urge Huntington City Council To Support Blocked Resolution

Huntington’s City Council chambers were filled Monday night with employees participating in two separate strikes at the Cabell Huntington Hospital and Special Metals. Members of the council considered a resolution that called for both organizations to come to the negotiating table in good faith.

The motion was blocked by Huntington’s legal team on grounds of impartiality.

The resolution in support of the strikers was introduced by Councilman Bob Bailey. He noted the importance to “get behind these people in these picket lines. Christmas is coming. […] They need Christmas presents for their children. So I’m only going to pray that you’ll do the right thing. And back these union people. These are our people.”

A federal mediator has called on the Cabell Huntington Hospital and SEIU to return to the negotiating table on Nov. 30.

Molly Frick, director of human resources for Cabell Huntington Hospital, issued a statement Monday. “We eagerly await confirmation to return to the bargaining table,” Frick said. “We presented our last offer to the SEIU District 1199 on Nov. 9. As of today, not only have we not received a counteroffer, we have not received any response. We recognize a strike is a serious matter that deserves earnest action.

She added: “Work stoppages at hospitals differ from those at industrial facilities. The very health and well-being of human lives are the responsibility of the entire team. We have heard from many union members that they’re ready to return to caring for patients and supporting operations. We encourage the SEIU to either respond to our offer or return to the bargaining table, so that our team members can return to work.”

The organizing director of SEIU District 1199, Sherri McKinney, argued in a statement that the Cabell Huntington Hospital isn’t truly acting in good faith, “when they have made an offer far less than what we have already had for decades and bargained for on Nov. 3.”

“It is our hope that the hospital will do what is just and fair and stop this strike in good faith during this holiday season for the Huntington Community at-large, but after the many false statements to the media and divisive tactics, they need to find another way of conducting business,” McKinney said.

Two union hospital employees came to speak before the council in support of Bailey’s resolution to support the striking workers.

Union worker Trish Burns shared with the city council how her sudden loss of health care has affected her 25-year-old son. “He’s a full-time college student. He has worked full time to pay for his education. Last week he was admitted to the hospital with no insurance because Cabell ripped my insurance away.”

Trish Burns speaking at the 11-22-2021 City Council Meeting

Council member Tia Rambaugh called for her colleagues to take a position. “Ultimately, I think that governance and administration should not remain impartial in these situations, because this is our community,” Rambaugh said.

Despite her background in business, she argued that it was unethical to stay quiet on the sidelines. “You guys are our workers. We are your neighbors. And it’s important for us to make our opinions known so that administration in these businesses can potentially recognize that they’re not working in a silo, that we all have to work together, and that our opinions mean something.”

Councilman Patrick Jones was the last to speak on the resolution. With tears in his eyes, Jones argued it is not unreasonable to demand higher compensation to keep pace with inflation. “Their children, many of whom I see in the halls of our schools each day while I’m working, can enjoy this holiday season in the same manner with a feeling of security and peace that the families of officials in management at these institutions will surely enjoy,” Jones said.

Council members officially didn’t side with either the workers or the companies. It is the 53rd day since the Special Metals strike began, and it is the 20th day of the Cabell Huntington Hospital strike.

Jones swore that if there is not a deal made in the next two weeks, he will introduce another resolution to the city council.

Events Across the State To Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Mine Wars, Battle of Blair Mountain

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain. While the anniversary is still weeks away, organizations and communities in southern West Virginia are already commemorating the centennial.

The Battle of Blair Mountain is one of West Virginia’s largest moments in American history.

As part of the Mine Wars, coal miners marched near the Boone-Logan County line from late August to Sept. 3. The march was the largest labor uprising in U.S. history.

It happened in the early 1900’s after coal miners in West Virginia endured years of dangerous conditions underground and brutal political and cultural treatment above ground.

By 1921, the miners decided to fight for their fellow miners in the Mingo County town of Williamson, who were locked up without trial. They were charged with violating martial law, an act that gives absolute power to the federal military during times of “war, rebellion, or natural disaster.” The battle ended when martial law was declared again, and U.S. Army troops disarmed the miners.

The uprising has been largely underreported but organizations and communities are hoping the events this year will provide more opportunities for people to visit and learn about America’s labor history.

Dozens of events are taking place online and in communities that played an important part in the Battle of Blair Mountain and the Mine Wars. Some of those towns include Matewan and Williamson in Mingo County, Madison, in Boone County and Welch in McDowell County.

Some of the groups working to organize the events include the Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the National Coal Heritage Area Authority.

The next event is a performance of the play “Terror of the Tug” in Summers County at Pipestem Resort State Park amphitheatre on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. The main events are happening Sept. 3 and Labor Day, the first Monday of the month, Sept. 6. Some of the events include outdoor plays, reenactments, tours, virtual roundtable discussions and retracing the march to Blair Mountain.

The anniversary is Sept. 3, so Labor Day Weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the centennial. You can find a list of events commemorating the 100th anniversary at this site.