Workers at JeffBoat, the United States' largest inland shipyard located in on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana, went on wildcat strike on April 30th, 2001. JeffBoat workers were presented with a contract proposal that set them back on every point and gave their union, Teamsters Local 89, the power to make deals with the company without the members' consent. Officials at Local 89 attempted to intimidate JeffBoat workers into ratifying the contract. When JeffBoat workers rejected the contract proposal by a five-to-one margin, Local 89 President Fred Zuckerman announced--after all but twenty workers had left--that he would not sanction the strike. Union officials and office staff were instructed to call workers' at home and demand they report to work as usual or face penalties.
Several JeffBoat workers refused to enter the shipyard and started an unsanctioned picket line. Other workers joined in and by lunchtime there was a total walkout at JeffBoat shipyard. That afternoon JeffBoat workers packed Local 89 demanding an answer from President Zuckerman who now claims a "clerical mistake" has resulted in a year-long extension of JeffBoat workers' contract.
The wildcat strike at JeffBoat had begun.
These texts taken from www.iww.org
Image from http://www.m-f-d.org/topic/20.000244.vxvh.php
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Zero Squared #98: A Red
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