(Cross-posted from SEIU's Blog here)
For the last 52 years, Local 1426 of Workers United in Terre Haute, Indiana has worked with Bemis to grow their local plant from 150 employees to over 1,000 employees. Yet in spite of their growing size, members of the union have agreed to modest wage gains over the years that just barely keep up with the cost of inflation--because that was what was best for the community and to keep the company competitive.
In recent years management changed--and it was not the only thing changing around the plant. Without any advance notice last year, the Company announced that it was going to require all employees (and their spouses) to submit to invasive medical testing in order to remain eligible for their health insurance. Not only was this illegal for the way it was done, with no bargaining with union representatives, but as you can imagine, it was hugely insulting and demeaning to workers and their families.
Charges were filed with the national Labor Relations Board over the Company's conduct, the government issued a complaint against the Company, and the NLRB eventually approved a settlement of the case to resolve this dispute. But in negotiations this year beginning in May, the Company again insisted that if workers wanted health coverage for 2010+, they (along w/ their spouses) would have to submit to invasive medical testing--a battery of tests known as a Health Risk Assessment (HRA).
More than 700 workers continue to be on strike against the major supplier of flexible packaging materials for food and household goods for its proposal, after walking off the job on July 21. Union leaders say the workers also weren't offered a reasonable level of security for their jobs or benefits. Read more about how Bemis Company is trying to force a plan to hire temporary workers at minimum wage with no benefits and impose Big-Brother style invasive medical testing.
Full disclosure: I work for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).