Almost six weeks after workers went on strike at Constellium Rolled Products in Ravenswood, many union workers are saying they're willing to take the company's offer.
Other workers say they side with what their negotiating committee will choose to do.
Constellium officials say they've given their last offer to union workers on strike. It all comes down to the vote and that has some of those union workers divided.
Randy Strickland was on the picket line Wednesday.
"There were over 570 people at the union hall that said they gave the negotiating committee a vote of confidence," he said. "Not one other person raised their hand in disagreement with that."
Strickland has spent much of the last six weeks on the picket line. He and many other workers say they will all stay fighting for what they believe in. They do not want their health benefits to change.
Other workers said they would take Constellium's offer if they had the chance to vote but union members voted to give the negotiating committee the ultimate right of refusal.
"I think those people have earned the right to vote on their families futures," Ravenswood Mayor Michael Ihle said.
Strickland denied that any members of the committee have been receiving paychecks during the strike.
Ihle has been vocal about letting the union workers have the vote, but those union workers on the picket line say their health benefits just aren't worth losing.
"The public perceives us as being cry babies and being the ones at fault, but where do you underline company greed? Where do you strike the pencil on the paper for that?" said Strickland.
We reached out to officials at Constellium as to their protocol when it comes to informing union members about contract negotiations. Officials said they present an offer to the union and whether or not the union representatives have presented anything to the membership is another thing.
Attempts to contact the union's negotiating committee were not successful.
The union plans to meet this weekend for what they call an informational meeting.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WOWK. All Rights Reserved.
