The United Steelworkers said that negotiators for Local 1343, representing about 800 union workers at the Caterpillar Inc. plant in South Milwaukee, have reached a tentative labor agreement with the company.
Union members will meet with their negotiating committee on Sunday, June 9, to review the proposed agreement, which the committee unanimously recommended for ratification when ballots are cast on Tuesday, June 11.
Last week, 34 representatives from the IndustriALL Global Union Caterpillar Trade Union Network signed a letter to Caterpillar chief executive officer Douglas Oberhelman expressing solidarity with the Steelworkers in South Milwaukee and urging the company to negotiate in good faith with the USW for a fair contract.
Union leaders from Caterpillar locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, representing thousands of the company’s employees, met this week in Esher, United Kingdom, specifically to share information about the world’s largest manufacturer of mining equipment and build solidarity between workers.
The South Milwaukee workers on April 30 rejected a six-year contract proposed by the company.
