Caterpillar union ends strike but row unsettled (fwd)

[Chegitz Guevara <mluziett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marc, "the Chegitz," Luzietti
personal homepage: http://shrike.depaul.edu/~mluziett
political homepage: http://shrike.depaul.edu/~mluziett/chegitz.html

"Gas! GAS! Quick boys!--an ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone was still yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and the thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning."

>From "Dulce Et Decorum Est," written sometime between Oct. 1917 & March
1918, by Wilfred Owen, killed in the last week of WWI.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 95 19:57:12 -0800
Subject: Caterpillar union ends strike but row unsettled

Caterpillar union ends strike but row unsettled
a1334LBY516reulb
r a BC-CATERPILLAR   12-03 0317
^BC-CATERPILLAR@
 ^Caterpillar union ends strike but row unsettled@
    CHICAGO, Dec 3 (Reuter) - Union leaders at heavy equipment
maker Caterpillar Inc. voted on Sunday to end a 17-month strike
despite a solid vote from the rank and file to reject the
firms's latest proposals to settle the bitter dispute.
    The United Auto Workers-Caterpillar Central Bargaining
Committee said it voted by an ``overwhelming majority'' to call
off the strike, making 8,700 UAW members available immediately
for a return to work.
    But the Detroit-based UAW said a large majority of members
at seven UAW-Caterpillar local unions voted at meetings this
weekend to reject the company's formula for a return to work.
    Nearly 14,000 UAW members walked out in June 1994 alleging
unfair labour practices. Since then about a third crossed picket
lines but some 8,700 UAW members remained on strike at eight
plants.
    The Peoria, Ill.-based company said striking employees
should not return to work until contacted by management.
    Until then, it said, they will be considered unreinstated
strikers and their compensation and benefits will remain the
union's responsibility.
    ``Because of all the operations changes we've made ... an
immediate return to pre-strike staffing of more than a year ago
is simply not practical,'' Caterpillar vice-president Wayne
Zimmerman said in a statement.
    Caterpillar has also hired replacement workers and
reassigned some white collar staff to assembly lines to keep up
production.
    Caterpillar's latest proposal -- similar to that rejected by
the union when the last contract expired on Nov. 3, 1991 --
includes a provision to increase standard hourly wages using a
modified cost-of-living formula. The company estimates this
would yield $1.44 over the life of the six-year contract.
    The proposal also provided full medical coverage within a
certain medical network, and put a cap on future retiree medical
costs after the year 2000.
 ^REUTER@
Reut23:16 12-03-95

Reuter N:Copyright 1995, Reuters News Service


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