When: Friday, April 26th, 3pm
Where: 34 Sanderson Street, Greenfield, MA.
For more information contact:
Chad McGinnis, UE International Representative
646-522-5389 | cmcginnis@ueunion.org
UE Local 274 of Greenfield, MA has been engaged in contract negotiations with Pennsylvania based Kennametal Inc. since March 11th, 2019 for a new Union contract at its Greenfield manufacturing facility. While the Union has sought to preserve the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement, Kennametal has demanded steep and crippling concessions from the Union, including elimination of the Union health insurance plan which would be replaced by an unreasonably expensive high deductible health plan, a demand that employees work mandatory overtime, grossly inadequate wage adjustments, preservation of a two-tier system that was imposed on the Union in the past as well as a demand that temp workers be brought into the workplace to do Union jobs. The Union has put forward reasonable proposals to get fair wage increases, regain ground lost due to sacrifices our members had made to support Kennametal during the tough times of the 2008 recession, and support good and sustainable jobs that support the Greenfield economy.
The Union workers of UE Local 274 have contributed to making Kennametal an enormously profitable company, which raked in $2.4 billion in revenue in 2018. Kennametal’s President and CEO, Christopher Rossi, received a total compensation package of over $5.7 million in salary and stock options, including a $500,000 bonus, in 2018, according to Bloomberg Media.
The Union workers who have made Kennametal profitable and drive the Greenfield economy deserve fair wage increases, affordable insurance, dignified jobs and equal pay for equal work. UE Local 274 has existed since 1941 and has been an unrelenting defender of good local jobs and a strong and sustainable economy for Greenfield.
The Union workers of UE Local 274 at Kennametal will rally at the gates of the Kennametal factory, along with representatives from other area labor unions including delegates from many UE Locals, community organizations and allies, to demand that Kennametal engage in good faith negotiations and settle a fair contract with all due speed.
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