BY FRANK FORRESTAL AND STEVE BLOODWORTH
PEORIA, Illinois - Caterpillar strikers are taking to the streets in a series of solidarity actions to mark the one-year anniversary of their walkout against the equipment manufacturing giant. A June 21 rally of more than 2,000 striking members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and their supporters showed their determination to continue the fight.
The protest, which took place in front of Caterpillar's corporate headquarters here, was the largest show of support for the strike since a demonstration of 5,000 last October in Decatur, Illinois.
Most of the rally participants were Illinois Caterpillar strikers from UAW Local 974 in Peoria, Local 751 in Decatur, Local 2096 in Pontiac, and Local 145 in Aurora. In addition, contingents from other union locals in Illinois and surrounding states attended the rally. These included carloads of UAW members from Navistar in Chicago, from Blaw Knox in Mattoon, from Case in East Moline, and from Crenlo, a parts plant in Rochester, Minnesota. Telephone workers from the Communications Workers of America Local 4214 and a contingent of Kroger grocery workers organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 536 in Peoria turned out as well.
Despite scorching midday heat, the crowd assembled across from the Caterpillar offices to hear speeches from leaders of the striking locals and officials of the labor movement.
Jim Clingan, a committeeman from Local 974, introduced the program of speakers by reminding the crowd of Caterpillar's record in the year-long strike. "Caterpillar has been cited 154 times for unfair labor practices, they have defied OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration], polluted our communities, attacked our union leadership, attacked our retirees, and attacked our women and pensioners," Clingan said.
`We could be next'
"We came to today's rally to struggle for our UAW
brothers and sisters at Caterpillar," said UAW member Chuck
Macon Jr. "Our contract at Navistar is up this year, and we
could be next."
"I'm more hopeful after the election [at the recent UAW convention] that there might be a better chance to settle the strike," said one Caterpillar striker from Local 145 in Aurora, Illinois. "It's been a long strike and I want to be working again."
Earlier in the day more than 500 strikers and their supporters held a spirited rally in front of the Aurora plant. A large banner reading, "One year on Strike is better than One Day as a Scab" summed up the sentiment at what was the largest rally in front of the plant since the beginning of the strike one year ago.
The night before, 350 strikers and supporters converged at the main entrance in use at the Caterpillar foundry in Mapleton, just outside Peoria. Workers at the Mapleton site were the first to go out on strike last year.
As scabs arrived for the shift change, Caterpillar strikers jeered and shouted and eventually joined hands to form a human wall, effectively closing the entrance. As a result, Caterpillar was forced to open an auxiliary entrance to allow the line-crossers in and out of the plant.
Following this, a contingent of strikers moved to the auxiliary gate to tie up the rerouted traffic. An over-the- road truck driver from Teamster Local 631 in Las Vegas expressed his solidarity by parking his tractor-trailer in the middle of the auxiliary gate. Caterpillar strikers cheered and chanted "union, union, union" as the driver held up scab traffic into the plant for fifteen minutes
Receiving pats on the back and handshakes from the strikers, the trucker, Steve Kostelac, said, "I have been a Teamster for fifteen years. Caterpillar is out to break this union and something has to be done."
In addition to the Aurora and Mapleton events, strikers were planning similar plant gate actions at Caterpillar's East Peoria and Mossville facilities June 22-23. The "illegally terminated" Caterpillar strikers will hold a picnic near Peoria June 24, and on June 25 Caterpillar strikers from throughout the region will participate in a solidarity rally in Decatur. That action is sponsored by UAW Local 751 and two other Decatur unions that have been involved in labor struggles - United Paperworkers International Union Local 7837, locked out by A.E. Staley Mfg. Co., and United Rubber Workers Local 713, which recently ended its 10-month strike against Bridgestone/Firestone.
Violent outburst by Caterpillar official
At the Peoria rally, Clingan expressed outrage over a
violent outburst by Jerry Brust, one of Caterpillar's top
labor negotiators.
On June 16 Mary Snyder, the wife of a striking UAW local 974 member, and her 11-year old son, Jesse Snyder, were picketing outside Caterpillar's headquarters. When Brust, accompanied by two Vance Security guards, exited the building, Jesse attempted to take a souvenir snapshot of him.
In response, Brust turned around and struck the youth across the face with a clipboard he was carrying, knocking a UAW hat from the boy's head, pushing the camera into his face, and scratching his glasses. He "hit me hard enough to make me dizzy," said Snyder at a news conference at Local 974 later that day.
Throughout the day, "Who knows how to use a clipboard? Brust does," was a common refrain by strikers at the rally.
During the program, leaders from Illinois UAW Caterpillar locals spoke. They included Roger Brown of UAW Local 145 in Aurora; John Deodtman, vice president of UAW Local 751 in Decatur; and John Hammill, vice president of UAW Local 2096 in Pontiac.
Dave Durbin, vice-president of UAW Local 974, read messages from elected officials, including U.S. vice president Al Gore. In addition, he read excerpts from a speech by President Clinton that was shown via satellite to the UAW convention.
As the workers rallied, UAW officials, including the presidents of striking UAW locals in Illinois, were in Detroit attending meetings at the national union headquarters.
Stephen Yokich, newly elected president of the UAW, said settlement of the Caterpillar strike is a "top priority.
"It's a shame on Caterpillar and, quite frankly, it's a shame on us that we haven't reached a settlement. And maybe both of us have to look in the mirror and take a step back and go to the bargaining table," said Yokich.
Cecil Roberts, vice-president of the United Mine Workers of America, was the final speaker at the rally. "This is not just your movement. It needs to be a people's movement. And all of us should be behind it," Roberts declared.
Bob Dunn, a terminated Caterpillar worker from Peoria, ended the rally by introducing the illegally terminated workers to the crowd. "Our solidarity will prevail over theirs," he said. The strikers yelled back, "One day longer."
Frank Forrestal is a member of UAW Local 551 in Chicago. Steven Bloodworth is a member of the Graphic Communications International Union in Peoria.