Joliet 11-14-12

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INSIDE

SPORTS JCA advances to state semifinals

NEWS Dems gain split on County Board

ONLINE More news at buglenewspapers.com

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Our Village, Our News

www.jolietbugle.com

NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Vol. 5 No. 11

Workers deliver union strike CAT employees continue with federal charges against union leaders By Jonathan Samples Staff Reporter

Two Caterpillar workers will proceed with federal chargers they filed with the National Labor Relations Board, despite being told by union leadership they will not be disciplined for refusing to participate in a nearly 3.5-month work stoppage this summer. Daniel Eggleston and Steven Olsen recently filed federal charges with the National Labor Relations Board after they learned the International Association of Machinists Local 851 intended to seek disciplinary action against them and nearly 100 other workers who refused to leave their jobs during a recent strike at Caterpillar’s Joliet plant. The charges claim union leadership unfairly tried to punish the two men for continuing to work during the strike and extracted the full amount for

union dues despite their status as partial members. Prior to filing charges, the two men approached the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal aid to employees who feel their rights have been violated. Local 851 leadership sent a letter to Eggleston and Olsen last week, informing them the union will halt disciplinary action against them. “They were mistakenly put on the wrong list, and the charges that we have filed against them have been withdrawn,” IAM spokesman Steve Jones said. Jones, who oversaw the contract dispute that precipitated this summer’s strike, said the men were accidentally included. However, the letter fails to acknowledge Eggleston and Olson’s status as part-time union members, said Anthony

Jonathan Samples/Bugle Staff

International Association of Machinists Local 851 members wait to hear the results of an Aug. 17 vote that brought an end to a 3.5 month strike at Joliet’s Caterpillar plant.

Ridel, National Right to Work spokesman. He cited the U.S. Supreme Court case of Communication Workers v. Beck, in setting precedent that allows workers to refrain from full-duespaying union membership. The outcome of that case prevents part-time union members from

being forced to pay for union activities unrelated to workplace bargaining, such as politics and political lobbying. “The charge will likely continue, as IAM union officials violated Eggleston and Olson’s Beck rights to refrain from fulldues-paying union membership,”

Ridel said. Ridel also said that further charges are likely to be filed on behalf of other employees at the Joliet plant. National Right to Work has received complaints from an additional 54 workers See STRIKE BACK, page 2


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