Workers at DeZURIK Inc. in Sartell Are On Strike

(KNSI) — Workers at DeZURIK Inc. in Sartell are on strike.

The company and members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers had been at the bargaining table since the beginning of May. It appeared as of June 1st, a tentative agreement had been reached, but, members rejected it and the group authorized a labor strike on Friday, June 2nd and started walking the picket line at 10:00 Sunday night, June 4th. Members also turned down an extension of the previous agreement.

District Lodge 77 Business Representative Andrew Peltier is the chief negotiator and explains “We had a final tentative agreement, which came across the table finally at 1:30-ish on Thursday, and we had to be in the plant and trying to print that the same day and try to get it in their hands and then they had less than about 24 hours’ notice to make a decision on the next three years of their life.”

Peltier says there are four main provisions the members want addressed, starting with the concern over a two-tier wage structure.

“These members are working in the same job classification next to somebody else, but they’re making roughly $3-$4 an hour less because they were hired after a certain date.”

The policy was implemented in 2014. Peltier says it takes about three years to get to the highest pay scale on either Track A or Track B but the difference can never be bridged, even if someone has been employed at DeZURIK for seven or eight years.

Some other issues include paid time off, health insurance premiums, and cooperation between the union and management.

DeZURIK President and Chief Executive Officer Bryan Burns tells KNSI News in a statement that the company is earnest in supporting the individual well being of all workers and hopes to get back to business as quickly as possible. He says talks continue in good faith.

They are expected to resume Tuesday morning.

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