MonoSol workers protest at Procter & Gamble HQ
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Members of Teamsters Local 135 traveled to Cincinnati on Wednesday to protest outside the headquarters of Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG). The union members, who are currently picketing specialty plastics manufacturer MonoSol over working conditions at its facility in La Porte, are calling on P&G to “demand its key supplier MonoSol end forced overtime for workers and bargain a fair contract.”
Last week, 190 workers were locked out of the La Porte plant after union members voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to authorize a strike. The workers have been picketing ever since.
The union says workers at the plant are forced to work 60-hour work weeks with up to 22 hours of mandatory overtime.
The demonstration at the P&G headquarters was part of an effort to demand MonoSol bargain a contract that does not include mandatory overtime.
“MonoSol is forcing our members to work up to 22 mandatory extra hours every single week, under threat of dismissal. Procter & Gamble has a Responsible Sourcing Policy that says suppliers must avoid any form of forced labor and respect their employees’ right to freedom of association and collective bargaining,” Dustin Roach, president-elect of Teamsters Local 135 in Indianapolis, said in written remarks. “We’re here today to call on P&G to demand that its supplier, MonoSol, stop its forced labor practices and stop the lockout. MonoSol is trying to bully our members into accepting a substandard contract with forced overtime and we’re not going to stand for it.”
The union also sent a letter dated Nov. 28 to P&G CEO Jon Moeller asking the company to investigate MonoSol’s labor practices.
Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana previously reported the union voted 160-9 to reject a previous contract offer that included 6.5%, 4%, 3% and 3% raises over the next four years, as well as $5,000 signing bonuses, no mandatory overtime during the first year, and improved health benefits.
MonoSol, which makes biodegradable films used in products such as dissolvable laundry detergent and dishwasher soap pods, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Inside INdiana Business.
Roach said the union received more than $50,000 in pledges from other Teamster local offices to support the locked out workers over a 24-hour period.
The Times reported this week the two sides have resumed negotiations with the help of a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.