Wentzville Lear Corporation workers strike over health and safety issues
WENTZVILLE, Mo. – Lear Corporation workers received the call from UAW to officially strike from their company over health and safety issues and production standards around midnight Sunday.
A four-year contract between the union and Lear Corporation expired after a month of failed negotiations. The strike has created a supply chain disruption, leaving GM without the necessary components to continue production at the Wentzville plant as of 4:45 a.m. Monday morning.
Workers are set up to picket in four-hour blocks of around 30 people at a time. Bill Hugebeck, president of Local 282, the union that overlooks Lear Corporation’s workers, told FOX 2, “It’s actually about the people here representing themselves and standing up and showing the company, ‘Hey we’re stronger together when we unite. This is what we can do,’ and they have shown great solidarity here, as you can see when people go by and honk. That’s the show of support.”
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One of the main concerns is that many workers are complaining of carpel tunnel along with elbow and back issues from the repetitive movement on the line, with the union hoping to negotiate further raises and health insurance options.
“With healthcare costs and the way they are a lot of times, that ends up being very expensive and a lot of times what we see is they get a raise and then the company comes back and raises the premium and then it eats up the raise,” Hugebeck said.
The GM Wentzville plant, which produces both Canyon and Colorado trucks as well as Savana and Express Vans, is expected to remain idle until the strike is resolved and seat production resumes.
“We will be going back to the table tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. to meet with the company and I’m hoping we can get something resolved and get these folks back to work,” Hugebeck said.
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