Download - OCSEA

ut not giving up
On Nov. 28, 2011,
Cooper Tire &
Rubber Co. locked
out 1,050 members of USW
Local 207L in Findlay, Ohio.
These men and women offered
to stay on the job as contract
negotiations moved forward,
just as they had in the past,
but the company refused and
kicked its longtime workers to
the curb.
In prior negotiations, members
of USW Local 207L gave
up $30 million in pay and other
benefits to help Cooper Tire.
The sacrifice ultimately paid
off and returned the company
to profitability. But instead of
rewarding its employees when
times were good, Cooper used
its $300 million in profits last
year to pay its executives millions
of dollars in bonuses and
to buy a new corporate jet.
Meanwhile, Cooper workers
got locked out and replacement
workers got their jobs.
Dave Nye, a 25-year
employee with Cooper Tire
said the mood is still good on
the picket line, despite starting
the third month of the lock out.
“Having unemployment helps
but, right now, employees need
everything. We feed picketers
and we burn a lot of wood,”
said Nye.
This holiday season, OCSEA
members helped support
Cooper union workers,
just as those workers showed
their solidarity with public
sector unions during the SB 5
fight. OCSEA members and staff
collected wood, coats, food,
toys and checks to help locked
out workers and their families
have a better holiday.
OCSEA continues to collect
food and other items. Checks
made out to Local 207L can
be sent to:
Local 207L, 1130 Summit St.,
Findlay, OH 45840.
OCSEA Pres. Christopher Mabe presents donations to the locked
out workers of Cooper Tire in December.
The extra mile...
“I buy extra gifts throughout the year for friends
and family, and this year I gave money to my
family, instead of gifts. I thought, ‘What am I going
to do with these gifts?’ These people at Cooper Tire
can use it instead of sitting in my basement. OCSEA
had already sent the items up that they had collected.
I thought, I’m not doing anything on Christmas
Eve. So, I called the board members of our chapter.
We only had $500 in our account, because we had
wiped out our account on SB 5. But we gave $200.”
Saturday morning I got up at 7 a.m., got in
my car, got some coffee. It was dark when I left. I
stopped by one of the picket areas and asked where
their union hall was. I drove in and the guys seemed
to be in high spirits. For being off work, they looked
in good spirits, but it was bittersweet. I gave them
some Christmas gifts
and some money
and I left. It felt good.”
OCSEA activists
support
Cooper Tire
workers on
the picket line
in Findlay.
Tim Hunstman
IC Chapter 2525
District 6 delegate
chapter steward
Winter 2012 Public Employee Quarterly 21