By Jacque Day
Metropolis, Ill. – United Steelworkers Local 7-669 president Darrell Lillie says he expects 1,000 to 1,500 people to turn out to a union rally in Metropolis Saturday. The purpose is to draw support for the Honeywell plant workers as they gear up to resume negotiations August 10.
"All we're doing is asking to keep what benefits we've got. We're not asking for any more. We're asking to keep our benefits because later on in life, we're going to need those benefits."
Lillie suggests Honeywell managers might be stalling production based on a legal provision that would allow the corporation to cancel some customer contracts after a 90-day work stoppage. He speculates, this could create an opportunity for new contracts at higher prices.
The corporation denies the allegations. Honeywell spokesman Peter Dalpe says, "There is absolutely no connection between our efforts at the bargaining table to resolve the current work stoppage and our customer contracts."
Last Tuesday's negotiation turned up a dead-end, Lillie says, with both sides holding fast. "Basically, you know it's a stand-off, to see who gives first. We're not planning on coming off the issues. They say they're not either. So we're just both dug in and I guess it's going to see who breaks first."