Volvo Needs More Time

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Published: March 16, 2008

    Outside the union building in Dublin, the sign reads “Ratified by 90%,” a reminder that the Volvo strike is officially over. But workers won’t go back inside the plant until the Monday after Easter. A Volvo spokesperson says the plant needs this next week to prepare. Basically, they can’t transition easily from producing nothing to over 140 vehicles a day. This week will be used for getting all the suppliers ready.
    Local union president, Lester Hancock, said they are ready to move forward.
    “Within a few weeks, we should have a contract booked for everybody. I don’t know how long it takes for it to get printed and proofread, so there’s still a lot of work to do,” said Hancock.
    But he said they were surprised the workers wouldn’t start right away.
    “We figured upon ratification they would have some people go in and get the factory prepared for production, but the company notified us and said they wanted everybody back at the same time,” said Hancock.
    And even though it will be a week until things get back to normal at Volvo, people in the community are also relieved.  Cougar Xpress is just down the road from the plant and was a big supporter of the strike.   
    “You know a lot of them personally. You get to know their families,” said Carri Bowyer, an employee at the store.
    She said the workers would come in after each shift to get gas and pick up some groceries, adding they are vital to the store. Since the strike, she said, “It’s kinda slacked down a little bit. You notice people don’t spend as much as they used to as far as filling up their vehicles. Even though gas prices are high, they try to conserve a little bit.”
    But now, the workers say they will go back inside the plant with a better contract. And to Hancock, being a part of the union means, “making sure I have a decent place to work, get a decent wage, and decent healthcare.”
    Hancock added that during this week the workers are off, they will be able to collect unemployment.