08) CROWN HOLDINGS WORKERS FIGHT CONCESSIONS

 

            The United Steelworkers (USW) has escalated its campaign against Crown Holdings by sending letters to Crown's CEO and Board of Directors demanding they take action to end a strike at a beverage and food can manufacturing plant in Toronto.

 

            The 130 members of USW Local 9176 who work at Crown Holdings produce more than five million cans per day. They were forced to strike on Sept. 6 by Crown's demands to impose a two‑tier wage schedule, remove a cost‑of‑living allowance and provide only minimal wage increases after years of pay freezes.

 

            The USW believes Crown Holdings is engaging in a protracted campaign to lower wages and working conditions. The company has 149 plants and operations in 41 countries.

 

            Crown is demanding cuts despite doubling its profits in 2012 and recognizing its Toronto workers with an award this year for their "dedication, commitment, teamwork and personal accountability" and for meeting or exceeding the company's expectations for "safety, productivity, quality and budget management."

 

            "The Toronto plant is one of the company's premier plants, and it's time to draw a line in the sand to stop Crown's unwarranted attack on all its workers," said Ken Neumann, USW Canadian National Director. "We are launching a global campaign to fight back for Crown workers and their communities all over the world."

 

            "We will leave no stone unturned in this campaign and will hold Crown's officers and Board of Directors wholly responsible for these attacks," Neumann added.

 

            Crown customers in Canada, such as breweries and soft‑drink companies, may be forced to seek other suppliers if the strike is prolonged.

 

            IndustriALL, the global union federation representing over 50 million members, recently condemned Crown's efforts to crush a union in Turkey. As part of the international campaign, three demonstrations will protest the ongoing conflicts at Crown plants.

 

The first one will be held on October 16 in Philadelphia, where the company is headquartered; the second, on October 18, is in Baar, Switzerland, the company's European headquarters; and the third will be in Turkey on October 21.

 

            (For details, visit http://www.usw.ca)

 

(The above article is from the October 16-31, 2013, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)