IUE-CWA Members Appeal for Justice in Contract Fight

Days before Thanksgiving, members and retirees of IUE-CWA Local 88502 in Campbellsburg, Ind., held a press conference to demand that Metal Powder Products (MPP) stop delaying negotiations. Over 50 community allies, including Secretary-Treasurer of the Indiana State AFL-CIO Shawn Christ, stood in solidarity with members as they presented a signed Appeal for Justice urging MPP and its owners to negotiate in good faith.

The appeal calls on MPP owners to reinvest in the Campbellsburg facility, address safety hazards and equipment issues, renegotiate MPP’s rent burden, and direct MPP management to bargain a fair contract with members.

“Private equity took tax breaks, stripped assets, and left us with a plant that’s less safe and less stable,” said Brian Smith, a member of IUE-CWA Local 88502. “Workers are doing everything we can to keep MPP strong. But we can’t do it alone—and we shouldn’t have to.”

IUE-CWA Local 88502 member Melinda Green said, “I need to be able to take my child to medical appointments and buy school supplies without choosing between bills. That’s all any of us want—to take care of our families. But MPP’s wages and conditions make that harder every year.”

Members at MPP have been in contract negotiations for over a year, and the company faces multiple unfair labor practice charges currently under NLRB investigation. Despite delays, workers remain united and committed to securing a fair first contract that recognizes their hard work and ensures stability for their families and communities. IUE-CWA Local 88502 also represents MPP workers in St. Marys, Pa., who will begin contract negotiations soon.

 
Members of IUE-CWA Local 88502, along with retirees and supporters, held a press conference where they submitted an Appeal for Justice to the company urging Metal Powder Products to negotiate in good faith.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.