Scott Slawson, United Electrical Workers Local 506 President, appeared on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and announced Local 506 members who work at Wab-Tec have gone on strike after management’s refusal to pay employees what they believe is deserved compensation.
About 1,400 employees are on strike at Wab-Tec, which builds locomotives.
Slawson explained why employees felt it was time to go on strike as they were not receiving fair wages for the hard work they perform each day. Newer employees suffered the most because they were paid 37 percent less than employees who had spent more time at the company. When their workers went on strike, management was unable to perform the simplest employee tasks, he added.
In the past, Wab-Tec required potential employees to have at least 10 years of experience performing a specific skill in order to work in their factory. Now, the company is so understaffed that they will hire anyone off the street - even if they have no experience, Slawson said. He noted that during the strike, instead of negotiating in good faith, Wab-Tec brought in out-of-town workers to do the job.
Listen to the entire episode.