Happy Labor Day from the people in Unions who brought you this holiday to honor working families and the sacrifices they make.
Labor Day is a time to reflect and be thankful for the things you have in your workplace that generations of working people fought to establish living wages, benefits, breaks, vacation, raises, safe working conditions, eight-hour shifts, and much more, regardless of whether you belong to a union.
Unions set the standard in every industry. The wages, benefits, safety standards, and working conditions unions negotiate at the bargaining table have an impact on non-union workers as well. When union workers raise the standard, other employers are often forced to compete for workers by improving their own wages and benefits.
I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about which political party actually supports working-family legislation in Iowa. If you haven’t figured that out by now, odds are you will remain in denial for personal or political reasons. I will say this: over the years, I have not seen a bill come from the Democratic side of the aisle in the Iowa Legislature that was designed to directly harm working people. I cannot say the same for the Republican side of the aisle. Sorry, but that’s a fact from my perspective.
This Labor Day, I also want to bring attention to a local strike right here in Cedar Rapids. Since July 28, UAW Local 1024 members at the Novolex/Evergreen facility on 6th Street have been on strike. These workers have spent generations building the knowledge, skills, and experience that keep this facility operating and profitable.
Novolex is a large, multibillion-dollar corporation. The Cedar Rapids facility is a relatively small operation, with approximately 50 workers in the bargaining unit. Those workers may not have the financial resources of a multibillion-dollar corporation, but they have something that cannot be bought: solidarity, pride, honor, and generations of knowledge about how to do their jobs and keep production moving.
For years, these workers have made sacrifices and accepted concessions when times were difficult. Now they are asking for a fair agreement that recognizes the value of their work and the sacrifices they have made. Now the company has started to hire permanent replacement workers instead of negotiating in good faith with the members to end this dispute.
At the very least, they deserve for the company to return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith.
We also need to pay attention to how Novolex has chosen to act during the strike. Attempts to recruit replacement workers, communications that make workers believe their jobs have been eliminated, or other tactics designed to weaken the solidarity of striking workers only make an already difficult situation worse.
The workers of UAW Local 1024 are not asking for something unreasonable. They are asking for a fair contract and for the company to recognize the people whose labor has helped make the operation successful.
And this isn’t just about 50 workers at Cedar Rapids.
What happens in the Novolex dispute will affect every union and non-union worker in the Cedar Rapids area and across Iowa. When an employer succeeds in lowering real wages or benefits at one workplace, it makes it harder for every worker in the community to negotiate better wages and working conditions.
When workers stand together and refuse to accept less, they raise the standard for everyone. That is why I am asking the Cedar Rapids community and working people across Iowa to stand with UAW Local 1024.
Contact Novolex at (843) 857-4800 or (319)-399-3200. Let them know that the Cedar Rapids community expects them to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair agreement in good faith.
This Labor Day, let’s remember what the holiday is really about: working people standing together. An injury to one is an injury to all.