Cequent Towing in Goshen, Indiana, announced
to their employees and their union on October 18th that they had made
a preliminary recommendation to shut down the Goshen facility and to move the
work performed here in Goshen to Renosa, Mexico, for the purpose of securing
lower wages and benefits for the employees producing the products made here in
Goshen.
This recommendation was
made even though the Collective Bargaining Agreement states:
During
periods of layoff or reduced hours the Company shall not contract or outsource
work customarily performed by the bargaining unit, provided the work can be
performed by those employees.
The Union strongly protests the recommended move as it would
violate the terms that Cequent Towing Products agreed to in 2011.
On October 25th in their earnings statement the
parent Company of Cequent Towing Products announced in their earnings statement
that the Company had third quarter sales of $335.9 million up 21% from 2011 third quarter
earnings.
Goshen and the State of Indiana have given tax abatements to
Cequent Towing Products for the last several years in order to create American
manufacturing jobs here in Goshen.
To move this work to Mexico is the betrayal of not only the
employees of Cequent but a betrayal of Cequent to this community after taking
tax abatements from that same community.
This is not a distressed Company. This is a very profitable
Company that simply wants to increase their profits at the expense of Goshen,
Indiana, the United States and American Workers by exploiting low wage
Mexican workers.
We urge the community and the State and Federal Government
to engage in this struggle to maintain middle class jobs here in Goshen
Indiana.
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