Amie here. Workers at a Des Moines plant have been locked out of work by their employer.
But what is a lockout—and how can you support workers right now?
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Brenntag is a German-based chemical and ingredient company with more than 18,100 workers at more than 600 sites in 70 countries, according to the company.
It operates two locations in Iowa: Brenntag Great Lakes in Des Moines, and Brenntag Solutions and Services in North Liberty.
Nine hazmat drivers and warehouse workers in Des Moines are unionized under Teamsters Local 90 and have been negotiating their latest contract with the company.
They voted down Brenntag’s latest offer, which the company called “final,” because it offered only 2% wage increases, according to Tanner Fischer, the union’s business agent.
Workers deal with corrosive chemicals like sulfuric acid, which can burn through skin, and have gotten injured on the job before.
“It’s just a very dangerous job, and they need to at least be able to keep up with the cost of living,” Fischer told me.
After workers unanimously authorized a strike—but kept negotiating—Brenntag locked out its workers Feb. 16. Workers have been locked out and not working since.
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Screenshot from We Are 5 News video.
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A lockout is basically what it sounds like: Bosses lock workers out of their worksite without pay, though they can apply for unemployment, which Fischer said Brenntag workers are trying to do.
“They’re very rare,” Fischer said of lockouts. “I’ve never dealt with one before.”
Broadly, it’s “an effort by bosses to block workers from working in the midst of a labor dispute,” according to the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, which called such an effort a “union-busting tactic.”
Brenntag told We Are 5 News that they had a “continuity plan in place to minimize lockout disruptions,” though they didn’t go into detail.
Teamsters Local 90 held a community rally in support of workers today at the plant, located at 1979 NE 54th Ave. in Des Moines. They’re asking the public to come out and keep showing support.
“These workers are willing to go back to work,” Fischer said. “It’s the employer keeping these people from going to work right now.”
Have you worked at Brenntag? Reply and tell me your experience.
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Amie Rivers
Newsletter Editor, Iowa Starting Line
Member, COURIER United (WGA East)
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Whirlpool cuts continue to reverberate around Iowa: News that the company will cut 341 workers in Amana by March 9 prompted a protest at the Iowa Capitol this week. (Sign a petition supporting the workers here.)
Whirlpool already laid off 651 workers in Amana last June.
Several candidates and elected officials asked the company to reverse its decision, including the full membership of both the Iowa Senate Democrats and Iowa House Democrats:
“I am respectfully asking for Whirlpool to cancel its intended layoffs of Iowa workers at its manufacturing facility in Amana, and to reverse course on its recent offshoring of American jobs to Mexico,” said Christina Bohannan, running for US House District 1, in a letter to Whirlpool’s CEO shared with media. “I urge all Iowa elected representatives, including US House Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, to join me in calling on Whirlpool to do the same.”
“Iowans have spent generations working at that facility, providing Whirlpool dependable, reliable, and stable employment for decades,” said state Rep. Lindsay James, running for US House District 2, in a letter to Whirlpool’s CEO shared with media. “In a time when working families need a stable paycheck more than ever, Whirlpool is abandoning them for corporate profits.”
“When corporations that benefit from public infrastructure, tax incentives, and the skills of Iowa workers don’t uphold their commitment to our communities, there needs to be accountability,” said Clint Twedt-Ball, running for US House District 2, in a statement. “The workers in Amana deserve more than sympathy — they deserve leadership that stands with them and fights for policies that help protect good-paying jobs here in Iowa.”
“These layoffs—the second round in under a year—will devastate a community directly responsible for Whirlpool’s skyrocketing profits,” Sen. Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City) said. “My heart breaks for the workers and their families whose lives will be upended.”
“Whirlpool is sending good, Iowa jobs to Mexico while accepting tens of millions of dollars in investment and tax credits from the state,” Sen. Tom Townsend (D-Dubuque). “Amana’s workers have had Whirlpool’s back for decades. They deserve the same support in return.”
“Just last year, Gov. Kim Reynolds and legislative Republicans approved tax breaks for corporations that ship jobs overseas. Now Iowa is facing massive layoffs that are hurting workers, families, and our state’s economy,” House Democratic Leader state Rep. Brian Meyer (D-Des Moines) said.
“Working Iowans are the backbone of our economy. When layoffs hit, it’s not just jobs that disappear; it’s stability for families and our local communities. If we want a strong Iowa economy, we have to stand up for the workers who power it every day,” added Ranking Member of the House Labor Committee, state Rep. Jeff Cooling (D-Cedar Rapids).
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Union endorsements: The Central Iowa Building and Construction Trades Council and the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 28 this week endorsed state Sen. Zach Wahls for US Senate. Central Iowa Building said he was “labor’s strongest candidate in this race and the best choice to fight for our members and our families in Washington.” IUEC said Wahls “has shown he’ll fight for good union jobs, strong apprenticeship programs, and a retirement you can count on, not the rigged system that rewards the biggest corporations and the politicians they buy.” // The statewide Iowa Teamsters this week endorsed state Rep. Lindsay James for US House District 2. “Lindsay James has consistently stood with the Iowa Teamsters, pushing back against corporate greed and special interests, and showing up when it mattered most,” said Jesse Case, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 238. “If we want Congress to put everyday people first again, it starts with electing Lindsay James.”
- Voting on a union: Forty-five full- and part-time workers at River Hills Community Health Center in Ottumwa voted, 23-19, to be represented by Teamsters Local 90. Five ballots are being challenged.
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MercyOne is closing and laying off 40 workers in Ottumwa by Friday, laying off 67 workers at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center by Mar. 17, and laying off 34 workers at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City by Mar. 17. Read more here.
- Whirlpool in Amana is laying off 341 workers by Mar. 9. Read more here.
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Cedar Valley Corp in Waterloo is closing and laying off 89 workers by Mar. 17. Read more here.
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Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off 33 workers by Mar. 20, 49 workers by Apr. 4, and 2 workers by Apr. 18. Read more here.
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CNH Industrial in Burlington is closing and laying off 7 workers by Mar. 23, 4 workers by Apr. 1, 52 workers by Apr. 2, 18 workers by Apr. 8, 9 workers by Apr. 9, 21 workers by Apr. 10, 16 workers by Apr. 13, 16 workers by Apr. 30, 42 workers by May 1, and 24 workers by May 29. Read more here.
- Collis in Clinton is laying off 51 workers by Mar. 23. Read more here.
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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Rivers. It was edited by Paula Solis.
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