TROY, Ill. — More than 400 workers are on strike in the Metro East, bringing production at a power management company to a standstill. Union members for Eaton B-Line have been picketing since midnight, all fighting for better pay.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Engineers, known as IAM, walked off the job Monday at midnight. They've been outside of both Eaton B-Line facilities in Troy and Highland ever since and said they'll continue all day and all night until they reach an agreement on fair wages.
Many people driving by both locations on Monday showed their support to the union members by honking and waving.
IAM Local 660 member Tray Schutzenhofer has been outside the Troy location since midnight and was one of the first members to walk off.
"We're out here trying to voice and spread the word of how this multi-billion dollar company is treating their employees. We want fair wages so we can have a comfortable living. In today's economy, people have trouble paying for gas and bread and eggs for their kids. At the end of the day, what they offered us isn't enough," Schutzenhofer said.
This came after workers at the Eaton B-Line facilities in Troy and Highland, Illinois, voted not to extend their contract Sunday.
IAM Local 9 member Jason Paoletti said over 90% of the union members voted to strike.
"Eaton's always had one of the better-paying jobs around, and at this point, they are so far behind on everything as far as pay goes. They wanted to give us a zero percent increase, and we started with 25 percent. They came back with zero, and we ended up with 3 percent. That's not even close. With the economy and the way it's been, it's not worth it, and that's why we're going on strike," Paoletti said.
Eaton B-Line is a power management company that makes various products for aerospace, utilities and other industries. Dan Harris, the Committee Steward of IAM Local 660, said many of these are custom jobs.
"There are many skilled jobs in there to form and manufacture products. They're going to need us, as well as we need them. So we're not asking for a whole lot. We're just asking for a fair wage. We will be out here until they kick us out of here," Harris said.
Members said they're asking for at least a 15% raise in pay. They'll rotate on the picket line every four hours and continue for as long as it takes.
"We have people with families, young kids, and they can't simply live off this wage. We want livable wages so we can go back to our families," Schutzenhofer said.
IAM is the same union that recently reached a tentative agreement with Boeing in the Pacific Northwest, after tough negotiations. It was a weeks-long strike involving 33,000 members. One of the main sticking points was pay, which is also the main sticking point for members in Illinois.
5 On Your Side spoke with striking IAM union member, Todd Peters, who was out at the picket line starting at midnight Monday. He said the agreement in the Pacific Northwest gives workers in Illinois hope.
"We'd like to get this over with as soon as possible and reach a fair agreement. We want to get back to work, we have families and lives," Peters said.
Union members will be rotating on the picket line every four hours, according to Peters. He has been with the company for over a decade and said this is his first time on strike.
"We're here to fight for our union brothers and sisters," Peters said.
A spokesperson for Eaton B-Line shared the following statement Monday:
"We are disappointed and surprised at the decision to strike, given the unanimous tentative agreement that was reached between Eaton and the Union’s bargaining committee. Still, we remain committed to getting our employees back to work.
"Eaton’s proposed contract is equitable and consistent with nationwide market trends and with our goal of attracting and retaining skilled workers. Eaton’s proposal represents a significant investment in this workforce and in the Highland and Troy, IL communities.
"Our goal remains to work with the Union to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement that reflects today’s business, economic and competitive landscape."