UAW Leaders to Join St. Gobain/Norton Abrasives Workers For Rally in Worcester, Mass.

UAW members from throughout New England, joined by union President Ron Gettelfinger and members of the union's International Executive Board, will rally in support of St. Gobain/Norton Abrasives workers on Wednesday at the Company's plant in Worcester, Massachusetts.

  When:        4:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 14

  Where:       St. Gobain/Norton Abrasives plant,
               1 New Bond St., Worcester, MA

  Who:         UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, the UAW International
               Executive Board, Members of UAW Local 4069 and UAW members
               from throughout New England

  What:        Rally for a fair contract for St. Gobain's workers

UAW President Gettelfinger will be available to news media immediately following the rally in Worcester.

Background:

More than 800 workers at St. Gobain/Norton Abrasives, who make industrial grinding equipment, voted to join the UAW in 2001 despite a sustained intimidation campaign against union supporters by management of the French- owned conglomerate.

Contract talks began in February 2002; more than a year later, no agreement has been reached. The effort by St. Gobain workers to win a fair agreement has won support from French trade unionists, Massachusetts Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry and all 10 members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.

The 18-member UAW International Executive Board (IEB) will attend the Worcester event following a quarterly meeting in Boston. Since 2002, the UAW IEB has rotated its meetings to different locations around the country, in order to meet with members and local union officials of the UAW.

Following the afternoon rally, the IEB will hold a town hall meeting with UAW Local Union leaders from throughout UAW Region 9A, which includes the New England States, New York City, and the eastern part of New York state. The town hall event is not open to the news media.

PRNewswire -- May 14