Local 108 Continues Pressure on Strauss (5/28/09)

Union workers and activists joined RWDSU Local 108 at the Strauss Discount Auto store in Tom's River, New Jersey yesterday, educating the community about Strauss' tactics and letting the company know that union workers at the auto parts and service chain will not give up in their fight for a fair contact.

The contract covering the more than 300 union workers at the chain expired in October, 2008, and the company has refused to bargain in good faith for a new pact. Previous proposals have offered zero pay increases, pay reductions, reduced paid time off, costly shifts in health care plans, elimination of pension plans and seniority rights, and no management sacrifices.

In the latest chapter of the fight between the union and the Strauss Autobacs company, a U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled in favor of a motion brought by Local 108 attorneys to deny the validity of a severance plan which set aside $672,000 to be shared by seven key executives at Strauss.

Local 108 President Charles Hall, Jr.

"This company has continued to use the economy as an excuse to try to break the union and strip employees of their hard-fought benefits, while at the same time trying to lavish huge severance bonuses on the executives who helped steer this company into bankruptcy," said Local 108 President Charles Hall, Jr. "Workers at Strauss won't stand for this kind of mistreatment."

Members of several RWDSU locals were on hand for the demonstration, and were joined by representatives of other unions including the IBEW and the Turnpike workers.