Langeloth union rallies on strike anniversary
Union workers conduct a rally outside Langeloth Metallurgical Co. in Smith Township on Wednesday morning.
Courtesy of Joe Avolia
Union workers at Langeloth Metallurgical Co. were out on the picket line for one year in Sept. 9, 2020.
A strike by about 80 union employees at Langeloth Metallurgical Co. marked its first anniversary Wednesday, and according to a union official, there are no indications of a rapid resolution.
Joe Avolia, vice president of United Auto Workers Local 1311, said no negotiations are scheduled, and there have been no talks since December.
Langeloth Metallurgical did not respond to a request for comment.
Avolia spoke following a rally outside the ore processing facility in the Langeloth section of Smith Township. The UAW is the only union at the plant.
Members began a work stoppage Sept. 9, 2019, over seniority rights and safety. Management and the union have had negotiations, to no avail. Avolia said the UAW took the next step in mid-April, filing unfair labor practice charges against the company with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.
The union issued a statement Wednesday, which reads in part: “The company has conducted itself in such a manner some may consider their actions an effort to bust the union. This is something we do not want to see happen to our union now or any other union in the future.”
The statement specified that the strike started over a “disagreement over safety and seniority within the plant, not monetary issues.”
Workers – limited in number – continue to picket near the work site. Avolia estimated that about 25 UAW members participated in the rally. Morale, he added, could be better, but members remain united and determined.
“Guys are down, but they’re sticking together and going to fight it to the end,” the Hickory resident said.
He complimented the local community for its continuous support, including motorists who beep as they pass by. “You’d figure the neighborhood would be tired of honking, but they’re still honking,” Avolia said, chuckling.
State Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-South Fayette Township, attended the rally and said afterward: “It’s kind of disappointing it’s gotten to this point, a year later. We want the two sides to get together, but the company hasn’t come back to the table.”
While absolving Local 1311 of blame, Ortitay said the international union “is not taking care of” Langeloth members. “We want them to step up. These members should be taken care of like those at General Motors, Ford and other large companies.
On another matter, an Iowa firm in late July filed a debt collection case in Washington County Court against Langeloth Metallurgical over an unpaid balance of $113,111, plus interest and costs, on a commercial credit account.
Independent Can Co. of Fort Madison, a manufacturing plant, delivered to Langeloth Metallurgical several types of goods for which it claims it has not been paid as of Sept 30, 2019.
There was no response from the local firm as of Tuesday in an online court database from Langeloth Metallurgical, nor had a court date been scheduled.
Staff writer Barbara S. Miller contributed to this report.