Approximately 84 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1297 at Libbey Glass in Toledo have been on strike since August 22. The union members are protesting what they describe as unfair labor practices, citing failed contract negotiations and concerns about working conditions.
U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) recently joined the picket line and sent a letter to Libbey Glass management, urging them to return to negotiations with IAM and the United Steelworkers (USW). In her letter, Rep. Kaptur stated: “I understand that Libbey Glass has advanced proposals the unions feel would harm the IAM and USW’s ability to represent their members, remove valid disputes from the grievance and arbitration process, erode protections for workers to exclusively perform their work, and restrict the workers’ ability to strike. I am concerned about these reports, and hope that further negotiation can achieve agreements that foster a new era of labor/management cooperation at Libbey’s Toledo production facilities.”
Union members have expressed concerns over mandatory overtime provisions that limit family time, reductions in rights and protections for union members, and increasing health insurance costs. According to union representatives, Libbey Glass has not offered an improved contract or engaged in meaningful negotiations.
