Global Union Support Mounts in 11-month dispute at Illinois Uranium Plant

The United Steelworkers (USW) today released a strong statement by European union leaders calling on Honeywell Corp.’s CEO David Cote to immediately end the 11-month-long lockout of 228 workers at the company’s uranium processing plant of USW Local 7-669 in Metropolis, IL. 

The letter is from the top officers of three big European labor federations to Honeywell’s CEO and states: “We call on you to take all measures to ensure that this lockout be ended immediately, with all workers welcomed back to their plant without reprisals, and with full agreement of their union the United Steelworkers.” It was sent May 12 by theEuropean Metalworkers Federation (EMF), European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation, and the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU).

In a side statement accompanying the EMF communiqué, influential top representatives of European Honeywell workers – Michael Petersen, Honeywell European Works Council President; and Ian Tonks, National Officer of the union UNITE in the United Kingdom, stated ... more