United In Purpose, Steelworkers Differ About Militancy

It was with grave concern that the United Steelworkers of America went on strike. The impact on our personal lives, our families, our jobs, our company and our community could be devastating.

Although a strike didn’t seem to be the answer, there was no choice because Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Company’s proposal was not a viable solution. Mediation and compromise were not a part of the company’s position.

Since that fateful day - Sept. 30 - several salaried people and former managers have assured us we had no choice but to strike and that the company’s goal was to bust the union. They spoke on condition of remaining anonymous. They also gave us financial and moral support, as well as helping us with food, clothing, Christmas presents, etc.

As apprehensive as we were, nearly every union member was united in the conviction that going out on strike was our only option.

The only division among union members of Local 338 is how the strike is conducted.

The first faction views all personnel that enter the Kaiser property as scabs who are taking union jobs. From this point of view, there is no distinction between salaried, management, temporary workers, vendors or contractors. All are subject to verbal abuse, gesturing and anything else this faction can get away with.

The second faction, which I believe is the vast majority, realizes most salaried personnel want this strike to end and would like to see the union back in the workplace.

Before the strike, we were friends and co-workers.

Many salaried people still support us and, hopefully, when this strike ends, we can maintain a working relationship.

This second faction of the union believes that if there is animosity, it should be directed toward a few key management personnel - the ones who are instrumental in locking us out - and the temporary workers who have no previous relationship with Kaiser, and when this strike is over will have no future with the company.

These temporary workers, referred to as scabs, are the greedy people who are willing to sell their fellow Americans out for a fast buck today. They have no principles or allegiances except for the dollar.

This second faction of the union discriminates between vendors and contractors, as to which are working under contract signed before the strike began and which are opportunists in search of a quick buck.

As a member of the United Steelworkers, it has been my hope that the union leadership would try to unite these two factions.

The leaders recognize the differences in views and they understand the members maintain a certain amount of anxiety and hostility that has built toward the company’s unfair labor practices and subsequent lockout.

The union leaders reason that the entire salaried work force, as well as temporary workers, are working extra-long hours in order to keep the union locked out. Without their dedication, Kaiser would not be producing enough aluminum to maintain the lockout.

The union leaders believe the hostility of the union members has to be vented somewhere and if it can’t be vented toward company personnel, it might be vented toward the union.

The union leaders support the first faction.

Unfortunately, there is no organized effort to differentiate salaried people from temporary workers and give them the respect they deserve.