Catherwood LibraryILR School

In a vote yesterday 600 barge builders voted overwhelmingly to continue today a strike that began on Friday. The workers, barge builders for Jeffboat's plant in southern Indiana, are represented by the Teamsters Local 89. Negotiations between the union and Jeffboat management have stalled, and no new talks have been scheduled. The major point of contention has been health care benefits - union members are hoping just to maintain the benefits they received under the last contract while management is asking them to begin paying contributions to dental and/or vision coverage. Local 89 president Fred Zuckerman is quoted as saying that these workers labor in one of the toughest industries in the country and deserve to keep their benefits. The vote to continue the strike, the Local's first since 2002, passed with an overwhelming 99% in favor.