Oct. 18—Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1529 District 15 picketed at the entrances to Amphenol Aerospace in Sidney for a second day Monday, Oct. 17.

Union President Jim Dix said 528 of 614 workers voted to strike for better wages and benefits and walked off the job at noon on Saturday, Oct. 15. According to a media release, union members voted to strike after management made a contract offer that included inadequate paid sick leave, medical cost increases and the lack of essential pay for working during the pandemic. The contract offer also failed to eliminate a two-tier wage system, so every worker is paid the same wage for the same job classification. Dix said the union is asking the company to give employees New York state sick time.

Amphenol Aerospace has two plants in Sidney that manufacture connectors and plates for private and military air planes, the International Space Station, the military, pickup trucks and four-wheelers, Dix said.

He said between 130 and 150 employees work at the old Amphenol building on Delaware Avenue, while the rest of the 700 employees work at the new facility, also on Delaware Avenue, which was built in 2013.

Dix said in 2013, the company created a two-tiered pay scale. "People hired after 2013 make $4 less per hour and have no pension," he said. He said union workers voted to strike because people doing "equal work should get equal pay."

Dix said 58% of the workforce started after 2013. "Junior members outnumber senior members, but the vote shows the senior members were ready to stick by the junior members," he said.

That was shown on the picket line on Union Street at one of the entrances to the company where a group of eight employees held signs. The longevity of the strikers was between one month and 42 years, they said.

Dix, who has worked for Amphenol for 18 years, said employees will be out on the picket lines all day and night until a new contract is negotiated. "We're a three-shift operation, so some people are used to being up all night," he said.

At union headquarters on Sherman Avenue, there was a steady stream of employees coming in and out to pick up and drop off their signs and enjoy some refreshments donated by local companies.

"The local community has stepped up big for us," Dix said. "Gavin at Gavin's pizza has been donating pies. Great American donated cold cuts, and Gavin's made sandwiches."

He said Wakeman's donated coffee and other businesses have donated supplies. He said other unions, including the United Steelworkers at Corning, UPS in Syracuse and the local Post Office, have also supported them.

According to signs on the wall near the entrance to the union hall, employees must sign up for three shifts of four hours and must check in and out for their shifts in order to be reimbursed $150 per week by the union if the strike lasts for more than three weeks.

Paula Larson, Connie Dorsey and Will Larsen were headed back to the union hall after their four-hour shift in front of the new facility. Larson and Dorsey said they have been employed at the company for 16 years and Larsen said he has been employed for 2 1/2 years.

"We're fighting for better benefits and for sick time," Larsen said. "And the fact that the past 2 1/2 years we've been working through a pandemic with several rules and vaccination requirements and we didn't get a penny for that."

While on the picket line, people stood at the end of entrances blocking traffic. Dix said the picketers can't stop trucks from going into the facilities, but can delay them for two minutes. "They're trying to get deliveries made. Our jobs are on the line, but other workers shouldn't be impeded from doing their job," he said.

Alice Ziglar said she started working at Amphenol shortly after the last strike was settled in 1995. and like her father, she is a member of the negotiations committee.

Dix said he's waiting to hear back from the union representative about contract talks.

IAM District Lodge 15 is one of the largest districts in the IAM, representing about 19,000 active and retired members in several different industries, the release said. The IAM is among North America's largest industrial trade unions and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airline, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care and other industries, the release said.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.