Photo by James Short.
More than 200 members of the United Steelworkers Union Local 10-00086 at Merck & Co. rallied outside Building 53 near Gate 1 at the Upper Gwynedd pharmaceutical giant Wednesday afternoon in support of its collective bargaining team, who are in middle of negotiations with the company on a five-year contract, which, according to the union president, has been “one of the worst set of proposals ever put across the table.”
A flyer provided to North Penn Now rallied union members that “the time to show up is now.”
“In light of the company’s insulting, one-sided proposals, it’s time we made our position loud and clear,” said the flyer. “We’re calling on every union member to stand together and show our strength.”
Local 10-00086 President Kevin McCafferty said the rally is part of the action items the union does with every contract to show support.
USW is known as the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union.
He said the union is in middle of negotiations for a contract expiring April 30, and is scheduled to meet for negotiations four more times ahead of the deadline. Merck & Co would not comment on collective bargaining negotiations.
“We’re at a midway point, with little to no movement on either side,” McCafferty said. “I’m in my fifth contract negotiation, and this is the worst set of proposals ever put across the table.”
Read details of the current, expiring 244-page contract between Merck and USW Local 10-00086 here and below:
The flyer called for members to show unity and resolve Wednesday afternoon.
“This is just the beginning, a warmup for the actions to come,” stated the flyer. “Now is the time to show the company that we will not accept the erosion of our rights, our time, or our value.”
(Credit: Submitted photo)While McCafferty would not comment on the specifics of the contract, the flyer called for union members to show up Wednesday afternoon to rally against tenets of the proposal like 12-hour shifts at straight time and the replacement of union members with part-time workers.
Proposals from Merck have also included loss of double time, weekend premiums, and job security via outsourcing, according to the union rally flyer.
McCafferty said the union is not interested in any proposals in the contract that upset the work-life balance of every one of its members, be it wages, work conditions or benefits.
“This was five of the worst years anyone has ever experienced,” he said. “Covid and inflation has hit members hard in the pockets. But every day we still come to work.”
McCafferty said his union kept manufacturing at Merck uninterrupted on site during Covid, which is a big part of negotiations.
Furthermore, the announcement of the impending closure of the Cherokee plant in Danville, PA, which will affect 163 employees starting next month, is on the minds of Local 10-00086 as well. McCafferty said the Upper Gwynedd location continues to expand and build more facilities.
“The Cherokee plant in Danville was sold and bought back and closed,” he said. “A lot of the same proposals we are getting now, they were given as well.”
Officers of USW Local 10-00086 include McCafferty, Vice President Gary Holland, Plant Chairman Bill Panetta, Secretary/Treasurer Dan Peterson, Recording Secretary Jimmy Beidler, Financial Secretary John Beidler, Plant Committeemen Jimmy Ford, Joe Messina, Randy Rosenberger, and Ahmed Awad, Sgt-at-Arms Anthony Sloan, Site Safety Lead George Walsh, Guide Spencer Fisher, and Trustees Casey Grow, Anastasia Adams, and George Bowman. Its five Board members at-large are Mike Lee, Derek Wright, Staci West, Angelena Pendleton and Vernell Butler-Lomax.
