MANKATO — Eighty union workers at Dotson Iron Castings continued a weeklong strike at the Mankato foundry, calling for a better workplace safety environment and “work-life balance.”
Union members of United Steel Workers 142B struck Sunday night, walking out at Dotson, the 150-year Mankato foundry. They continued picketing on Wednesday.
Striking workers established an employee support canopy on Rock Street, just a half block from the Dotson offices, with others carrying strike signs in front of the building and along Riverfront Drive.
Jay Chatleain, USW 142B president, cited safety concerns at the foundry as well as the need for concessions on mandatory overtime requirements by Dotson, which was purchased May 19 by MacLean Power Systems, an international utility corporation based in Fort Hill, South Carolina.
“Right now, it’s safety and work-life balance,” said Chatleain, a nine-year Dotson employee. “We’re really close on wages, but that’s not the main reason for the strike. There’s really no limits on how many hours (of overtime) they can mandate.”
Chatleain said the two sides haven’t met since July 12, but union officials and Dotson management confirmed that an Aug. 1 session is planned. Chatleain said he’s hopeful the main issues can be resolved but noted there is still quite a distance between them on mandatory overtime.
Company management issued this official statement regarding the strike:
“Dotson has been diligently meeting with the Union to work toward a new contract, and we have made substantial progress toward that goal. Dotson continues to meet with the Union to exchange perspectives and ideas through both talking and listening. While we don’t feel the strike helps the parties arrive at a mutually agreeable contract, Dotson recognizes employees’ right to strike, and it has not discouraged Dotson from continuing to work productively toward an agreement. In the meantime, Dotson employees and others continue to work at our facility to keep operations running and serving our valued customers.”
Chatleain said some eight to 10 temporary workers are coming into Dotson, noting that “all the union members are out.” And while the union has noticed few major changes since the May 19 purchase by MacLean Power Systems, Chatleain added “they keep making the sides unavailable.”
Moises Ramirez, a three-year Dotson employee, was one of the union workers who stood Wednesday at the corner of Riverfront Drive and Rock Street, holding a strike sign with a raised fist as vehicles honked. He’s hoping to get back to work soon but supports the strike for however long it might take.
“We’ve never done it (a strike), so that’s why they’re taking advantage of us,” Ramirez said.
Chatleain said temporary workers are contracted to Dotson via Tradesmen International, a national construction and trades recruiting center. Its website says the company “provides construction contractors and industrial companies with North America’s best, safety-minded craftworkers.”
But Chatleain said the foundry’s jobs are specialized, making it difficult to provide extensive training to temporary workers. And that, he stressed, can put both the temporary worker and union member at risk.
“Their training is very minimal to what we’re doing,” he said. “They come in and they really don’t do a lot of training.”
A foundry furnace melts steel as high as 2,700 degrees, Chatleain said. The molten steel is then poured into a second ladle and into molds in the production of iron castings, he said, with myriad industrial needs for agriculture, trucking and railroads, and gasoline businesses.
Despite the contract impasse, Chatleain said, “I’m really hopeful. There’s a lot of support in the community.”
Beyond the official company statement, a Dotson spokesperson also touted the company’s commitment to Mankato and the community’s ongoing support over a 150-year history. The spokesperson also confirmed the May 19 purchase by MacLean Power Sources and noted Dotson has invested millions in upgrades to the foundry over the past year and a half.