UAW Local 997 on Strike at Maytag Plant in Newton, Iowa

UAW Local 997 on Strike at Maytag Plant in Newton, Iowa 


NEWTON, Iowa, June 10  /PRNewswire/ -- UAW Local 997 members at the Maytag
appliance plant in Newton, Iowa, went on strike at 4:00 p.m. (CDST) today,
after an eight-day extension expired without union and company negotiators
reaching tentative agreement on a new contract.

The previous UAW-Maytag contract, which covers 1,525 active workers, 700
laid-off workers and 2,000 retirees, expired on June 1, but the parties agreed
to extend the contract to 10:00 p.m., June 9, and continue negotiations.

"We went the extra mile and more to reach a new agreement without a strike.  We
agreed to a contract extension, and even after that extension expired last
night, we stayed at the bargaining table and tried to resolve our differences
on health care and retirement issues," said UAW Region 4 Director Dennis
Williams.

"The situation at Maytag is yet one more example of how the United States'
broken health care system is placing enormous strains on the collective
bargaining process -- and hurting both companies and working families," said
Williams.  "The simple fact is that we can't solve the health care cost crisis
at the bargaining table; it's a national problem that demands a national
solution."

"We understand the importance of Maytag to the entire Newton community, and we
are ready and willing to resume negotiations at any time.  No one ever wants a
strike, and we're prepared to work around the clock to negotiate a fair and
equitable new contract for the hard-working men and women who've built Maytag's
outstanding reputation for quality and dependability," Williams said. 

DATASOURCE: UAW



CONTACT:  Paul Krell for UAW, [phone]



Web site:  http://www.uaw.org/ 

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