Teamsters Local 337 Sponsors January 23 Demonstration to Protest Union Busting at General Motors' Lake Orion Assembly Plant

DETROIT, Jan. 21 -- Outraged by the recent termination of union cafeteria and vending workers inside the General Motors Lake Orion Assembly Plant, members of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 337 will hold an informational demonstration outside the plant, located at 4555 Giddings Road in Lake Orion, Michigan on Wednesday, January 23. The information picket will begin at 5:30 a.m. and continue until 7 a.m.

Teamster members had previously been employed by a union company Sodexho Marriott. Although Local 337's contract with Sodexho Marriott was scheduled to run until July 2005, the company pulled out on December 5, 2001. As a result, the company scrapped the union contract and terminated all the Teamster employees.

Lake Orion management then contracted with a non-union company, Continental Vending, to service the plant. They were hired on December 17th, 2001. Local 337's protest is designed to encourage Continental Vending to honor the union's successor clause in the previous contract and rehire the union members.

``What happened to the members at Lake Orion is outrageous,'' Local 337 Business Agent Jerry Bliss said. ``Our union has represented workers at the Lake Orion plant for years and we want Continental Vending to do the right thing and bring the union back.''

Bliss said the Teamsters are receiving strong support from the UAW members employed at plant who also oppose a non-union company.

``We appreciate everything that the UAW members are doing to show solidarity with us in this fight,'' Bliss said. ``Union teamwork will be crucial to our victory in this campaign.''