Sherwin Alumina’s Lockout of 450 USW Members Entering 10 Months
Contact: Rey Hererra: (361) 215-5073, reyrey235@hotmail.com
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (August 6) — Members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 235A in Corpus Christi will distribute back to school supplies to the children of locked-out Sherwin Alumina workers beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at the local union hall at 2301 Saratoga Blvd in Corpus Christi.
“We believe it is our duty to provide our children with the tools that they need to become our future leaders,” said USW Local 235A Vice President Rey Hererra. “Even though we have been locked out of our jobs for 10 months, we still have a responsibility to do the best we can for our children.”
Sherwin Alumina in Gregory, Texas, has kept 450 members of Local 235A locked out of their jobs since last October, despite repeated offers by the local union to return to work as negotiations continue on a new contract. The company has continued to demand deep cuts in pay and benefits for workers, even though its corporate parent, the Swiss mining giant Glencore, recorded a $2.3 billion net profit in 2014.
USW District 13, which includes Steelworkers in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, helped the local union purchase the supplies.
“This is what Steelworkers do. We are proud to stand up and support the hard-working people of South Texas and their families until we can reach a fair agreement,” said USW District 13 Director Ruben Garza. “Sherwin must end this senseless lockout and allow these workers to return to their jobs.”
The USW is the largest industrial union in North America, representing workers in a range of industries including metals, mining, rubber, paper and forestry, oil refining, health care, security, hotels, and municipal governments and agencies. USW District 13 represents more than 50,000 members in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
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