IMF Meeting in Chicago brings new hope.

Brothers and Sisters

On March 30 and 31, 2011 Unit #1 Bargaining Chairman Joe Morel and President Mark Patton attended a meeting of the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) Caterpillar Steering Group in Chicago IL. This group first met in Grenoble, France in April of 2010 when the leaders of the UAW and IMF along with other union leaders around the world decided it would be of mutual interest to form an alliance to help each other when dealing with Caterpillar.

This meeting was very encouraging as delegates were present from Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and two unions here in the U.S. There were also representatives on a conference call from Australia. The representatives from Japan couldn’t make it do to the recent events there. Contacts are being made in India and China so we can get a full understanding of the company’s strategy as it positions itself around the world.

During the meeting representatives shared information about their facilities including employment figures, products produced at each location as well as wages and benefits at each location. Union density and contractual issues were also discussed. Overall the meeting was beneficial for all who attended as we shared concerns and ideas to better manage upcoming challenges with Cat. The bottom is when we deal with large companies like Cat things work out better for all when we all stand together as one!

In Solidarity,