Workers at WarFab Win Back Jobs, Company Signs Settlement
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On September 24th and 25th of 2013, four workers employed by Industrial Labor at Warren Fabricating in Hubbard, Ohio were "laid off" after talking to their coworkers about forming a union. The National Labor Relations Board was set to go to trial on October 6th 2014 when Industrial Labor owner Richard Melanson negotiated the workers return with the Iron Workers Union.
Brian Poindexter, Joe Olsen, Mike Stoner, and Jeff Cech met with a representative from the Iron Workers after some health and safety concerns were brought up and management did not respond to their concerns. Within a week of the meeting, all four were told they were being 'laid off' due to slow work, despite a larger-than-average back order, overtime hours, and forced shift changes for the remaining employees to accommodate the lay-offs.
On October 6th, Regina Rebhan, president and CEO of Warren Fabricating, and Rich Melanson, president of Industrial Labor, Warren Fabricating's in-house staffing agency, reached a settlement with the Iron workers Union on behalf of the workers. The settlement states that neither Warren Fabricating nor Industrial Labor will interfere with the workers' rights to form a union.
"I'm glad to be going back to work," said Joe 'Mojo' Olsen, a crew leader who worked for Industrial Labor for more than 2 years prior to his firing. "I knew we were doing the right thing by standing up for ourselves, and I knew they were wrong for letting us go. This settlement shows that. I finally feel like justice has been served."
On Sunday October 26th, 2014, several dozen workers, community members, and faith leaders, including a representative from Senator Sherrod Brown's office, gathered at Harding Park in Hubbard, Ohio to celebrate the victory, and provide encouragement for the workers to continue organizing upon their return. They returned to work the following day, Monday October 27th.
"I was shocked by how much support we saw when we went back in," said Brian Poindexter, one of the workers who won reinstatement and back pay. "A bunch of our co-workers wore union shirts in solidarity with us. It's a good feeling, knowing they have our backs."
For more information, contact Sydney Householder at 724-678-5462 or [email protected]
SOURCE Ironworkers International Union
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