Steelworkers without borders

Dana union workers to assist Mexicans in getting higher pay
 
by Sherry Slater, The Journal Gazette

Ask any factory worker what keeps him awake at night.

Chances are high that he’s worrying about losing his job to a foreign factory, where people are willing to work for less.

That competition for jobs pits workers against one another. Or, at least, it has in the past. Some union members are now approaching the situation from a different angle.

Five local Dana Holding Corp. workers are traveling to Mexico next week to deepen a fledgling relationship with unionized Dana foundry workers outside Mexico City in Tlalnepantla. The idea is to help the Mexicans negotiate for better wages and benefits when their contract comes up for renewal.

“The steelworkers are fighters. We stand up for anybody,” said Dennis Leazier, vice president of United Steelworkers Local 903 ... more