General Cable’s union workers strike in Lincoln, RI

Lincoln, RI— General Cable Corp. reports that workers went on strike last week at its Rhode Island-based plant. The company’s four-year contract with Local Union No. 4543 of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) expired on March 12, 2005, and was extended for one week as the parties worked toward a new agreement.

General reports that significant progress was made by both parties to arrive at a new, mutually acceptable agreement. However, union workers voted by a narrow margin on March 20 not to approve the new agreement. As a result, the union began its strike at the facility on March 21. Both parties are continuing to work together to reach a new contract. Local No. 4543 represents 180 production and maintenance workers at the Lincoln plant, where the company manufactures industrial and specialty cables.

General adds that it has sufficient inventory to meet customers’ requirements during the anticipated period of negotiations with the union, as well as alternative manufacturing facilities in the event of an extended stoppage. The firm doesn’t expect that the strike will have a significant impact on its financial results for the first quarter of 2005.

General Cable is headquartered in Highland Heights, KY, and is a leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber-optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty, and communications markets.

Control Engineering Daily News DeskJim Montague, news editorjmontague@reedbusiness.com

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