The Omnova strike, which has dragged on for the better part of a year, could end with the strikers walking away from the company many of them have worked for their entire adult lives.
As May 15 approaches, decertification of the Local 748-L becomes more of a concern, and resuming negotiations seems hopeless.
“I”m not sure what we would discuss,” Omnova Solutions spokeswoman Sandi Noah said, when asked if there were any pans to return to the negotiation table.
The company, she said, has offered creative solutions to keep the plant competitive. Not only have workers rejected the proposals, they also have offered no proposals of their own, she said.
Meanwhile, about 15 of the initial 168 workers who voted to start the strike have retired, though they still walk the picket line, in support of their former coworkers.
On May 15, one year after the 168-2 vote to reject the contract, the company could take a decertification vote from the more than 100 workers hired to replace the strikers, said Jay Lawrence, union president.
“Certainly, that”s one of our concerns. They could try to take a decertification vote or whatever,” Lawrence said. “We have to be prepared for whatever takes place.”
It all comes back to one question, he said: Does the company need experienced workers to continue to put out a quality product?
For union workers, the answer is an obvious yes, though the company says it is delivering orders as normal, and the replacement workers are glad to have a job.
“The plant has been operating and serving customers with an engaged local workforce, so our plan is to stay (operational) so that we can continue to serve our customers,” said Noah.
Whether the company hires more local workers “will depend on business conditions,” she said.
“The company has done what it has needed to do in order to keep serving companies with quality products and services,” Noah continued. “That has been and will continue to be our focus.”
Noah also notes the company is “having a positive impact on the families of new workers and suppliers and vendors throughout the Columbus area.”
Last week, six local union members traveled to Ohio for a shareholders” meeting. The meeting, Lawrence said, lasted 16 minutes, and it was never opened for discussion or questions from the floor.
“I believe that”s because we were there, and they knew we wanted to ask questions, such as, ”Is it beneficial to the company that we, the experienced employees, are not working?”” Lawrence said.
The Columbus plant is Omnova”s primary facility for decorative products, such as commercial wall coverings and coated fabrics for bus and boat seats.
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