Union workers at Mercury Marine says there’s pressure coming to bear at the union hall to vote no on proposed contract changes from the company. Felipe Rodriguez, Rick Schmidt, and Fred Toth helped organize a re-vote, which eventually resulted in the company and union officials agreeing to allow a third and final vote this week.
Rodriguez says there’s a lot of politicking going on at Machinists Lodge 1947 in Fond du Lac, where the voting is taking place on the contract. He says it’s hard to believe that people are telling workers to vote no again, after all of the work that went into calling a third ballot.
Workers previously rejected contract concessions from Mercury Marine in what union officials have said was an overwhelming “no” vote.
Toth says they realized last weekend how important it was to have another vote, when people came from all over to sign a petition for a re-vote.
If all 838 active members of the union vote before the 6 pm deadline Friday, it will take 420 votes to swing the election for approval or rejection of the proposed contract changes. If approved, the deal would keep Mercury manufacturing in Fond du Lac. If it fails, those jobs will be moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma.
AUDIO: Union member Felipe Rodriguez (MP3 :15)
KFIZ’s Bob Nelson contributed this report.