By MEGHAN DURBAK, Kokomo Tribune staff writer
After hours of picketing Wednesday, local UAW members put their fires out.
A strike that was brought on by a dispute between the International United Auto Workers and Chrysler LLC ended after less than six hours, when the two organizations came to a tentative agreement on a four-year contract.
At 11 a.m. Wednesday, workers walked off the assembly lines and outside to the picket lines, where they stood in less than desirable weather conditions. Temperatures in the area dropped overnight Tuesday, leaving bundled-up picketers with glove-covered hands holding signs that read "UAW on strike." Others huddled around fires to keep warm.
"They told us to put our fires out and bring our signs back to the union hall," said Linda Merchant, a UAW Local 685 member. "We were ready to stand up for what we want."
According to striking union members, the main concerns were job security, and retiree and employee health care. With a tentative agreement met, it seems the UAW may have gotten what it wanted.
According to The Associated Press, Chrysler entered into talks seeking health care cost concessions the UAW granted to General Motors Corp. and Ford in 2005. On the other side, the UAW wanted to know how much the company would pay into a company-funded, union-run trust that would take over its unfunded retiree health care costs, estimated at $18 billion. There are 78,000 retirees and surviving spouses at Chrysler.
"I'm glad it's over with," said Jacob Dillon, an 80-year-old Kokomo Chrysler retiree.
He said he was concerned not for himself, but other retirees and future retirees about whether they'd receive pensions and health care benefits.
If it weren't for a renewal of retiree benefits, Dillon said, "We'd be in trouble. I'm glad they got it settled."
The UAW was also concerned with Chrysler's wish to contract out parts transportation, now done by higher-wage union members.
Presently many members are in the dark as to the details of the negotiation.
"I think we got something," said Kelly Hall, a member who�s been on the assembly line at Indiana Transmission Plant 2 for nearly 10 years.
Their hope springs from UAW President Ron Gettelfinger�s response to the tentative agreement with Chrysler.
"This agreement was made possible because UAW workers made it clear to Chrysler LLC that we needed an agreement that rewards the contributions they have made to the success of this company," Gettelfinger said in a statement.
UAW has 49,000 members working for Chrysler. There are 24 U.S. plants, including four in Kokomo, which employ 6,000.
In addition to tough contract negotiations, many workers expressed concern about the company�s new owner, Cerberus, that took ownership earlier this year.
"They're a private company and that scares me," Michelle Johnson said early Wednesday.
"All they want to do is make money. They don't care about us," said the 30-year union worker and UAW Local 685 member.
Johnson said she's getting ready to retire and also has two grandchildren living with her. She was concerned she'd have to start pulling funds from her retirement account if the strike would have lasted.
On the other hand, Rick Russell remains optimistic about being owned by private company Cerberus.
"We'll no longer have stock holders at our throat," the Kokomo worker said. "That gives us more opportunity to diversify."
The majority of Kokomo workers interviewed Wednesday said they had heard a strike could have lasted two to five weeks.
Russell didn't believe the strike would last that long.
"I don't think this company can afford a long strike," he said. "And neither can we."
Those words were true enough as Wednesday's third shift was ordered to go to work as scheduled.