Workers Strike Daido Bellefontaine Bearing Plant

Workers Strike Daido Bellefontaine Bearing Plant Over 175 workers are on strike at the Daido Metal Co. Ltd. engine bearing plant in Bellefontaine, Ohio, after the old contract expired June 29. Daido Bellefontaine manufactures thinwall engine bearings for automotive, marine, off-road and stationary engine applications. OEM automotive has been a hard-hit segment, including manufacturers such as Honda, Nissan, Toyota, GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler. The facility also produces aftermarket engine bearings and has an in-house strip operation. Hourly workers at the plant are represented by United Auto Workers Local 1224. The strike vote was 135 to 7, out of 173 Local members eligible to vote. So far, Daido has been able to continue operations by deploying a production staff made up of temporary workers and several who crossed the picket line. Contract negotiations had been ongoing, but both Daido and workers both claim the other side is at fault for the impasse. Workers claim management has refused to negotiate and not been in contact since the strike vote; Daido claims the union's negotiators have cancelled scheduled meetings. It has been told that the company's initial offer included reducing total compensation (hourly rate plus benefits) by as much as $6 per hour. Daido is also pushing for more flexibility and cost savings, with requests such as improved efficiency via the opportunity to assign work without being restricted by seniority claims. Also reportedly in contention are fewer paid vacation days, and unpaid holidays. One union member said the disagreement is entirely over the company's attempt to eliminate seniority rights, the "backbone" of most union shops. Before negotiations began, a number of workers reportedly vowed never to accept the deep cuts initially proposed, although both sides have conceded there is a need to control costs and become more efficient in order to help keep Bellefontaine competitive in the OEM engine bearing market. No more formal talks are scheduled until next week.