On Monday, September 16, UE Local 1107 members at Freudenberg marched on the boss during management's pre-shift meeting to protest the unjust termination of Jackie Beccera.
Members voted overwhelmingly to arbitrate Beccera’s termination at the membership meeting the day before. They also voted to use tools brought back from a recent subregion education event to mobilize the membership, instead of just waiting on the painfully slow arbitration process.
“"We had no choice but to vote to arbitrate this blatant violation of the contract,” said Chief Steward Brenda Scott. “Our local is not about to stand by and let management ignore the contract, their own policy and progressive discipline by terminating a member for attendance who hasn’t seen a write up for over 11 months. At the same time we’re not about to sit around and wait for an arbitrator to administer justice either. That’s our job!"
New Human Resources management has been attempting to divide first and second shifts, while blatantly violating the contract. This is the third arbitration vote the local has been forced to take in the past six months.
The local employed new communications tools that were shared at the subregion meeting to educate the members about the arbitration vote and the outcome of the labor management meeting to follow. Rather than rely on the failed legal system to get justice, members also voted to enact an escalating campaign plan designed to return Beccera to work before the case goes to arbitration.