Blaine, MN – The United Steelworkers (USW) said that about 220 hourly production and maintenance workers began a strike, November 1, against unfair labor practices at Carley Foundry, which supplies parts for customers in the aerospace industry and others.

USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez said that Carley management’s scheme to divide the members of Local 63B by proposing a lower wage tier for new employees and other economic and contract language changes has instead united them in solidarity.

“Carley has broken federal labor laws in its drive to force workers to accept its unfair and unnecessarily concessionary proposals, and we are standing up to demand the fair contract USW members have earned,” Ramirez said. “As one, we will deliver the message to management that our work has dignity and we deserve the company’s respect.”