A strike could be called as early as Friday if the machinists union representing 300 employees at Maysteel, a metal fabricator in Allenton, fails to reach an agreement with management, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Meanwhile, the company acknowledged that it has contingency plans to continue operations, and they include hiring replacement workers or moving work to Maysteel plants in Mexico or North Carolina, the report indicated.
Union members have voted to reject a proposed three-year agreement that would have cut their pay 2% in the first year, freeze wages in years two and three, increase employees’ health insurance costs, and reduce their vacation days.
Founded in 1936, Maysteel makes electrical cabinets and other sheet-metal enclosures.
