Machinists In 3 States Striking Against Cummins For New Contract

CONCORD, NH — Dozens of machinists in three states have been on strike since Saturday in an effort to get what they believe is a fairer contract.

Thirty members of Machinists Union Local Lodge 447, a member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, are picketing Cummins locations in Concord, New Hampshire, Dedham, Massachusetts, and Scarborough, Maine.

Cummins, a multinational corporation with 58,000 employees around the world, builds engines, electrical components, parts for railroads, buses, and tractor-trailer trucks, generators, and other products. The company has just shy of $20 billion in revenue annually, according to its website. At the three locations, the workers repair products and also work in the field.

There were about half a dozen picketers in Concord on Friday. One of the men, who chose to speak for the others, said the union and company went back and forth about a new three-year contract for a lengthy period of time. Machinists for the company, he said, make between $50,000 and $70,000. All of the employees are out on strike.

IAM District 15 Assistant Directing Business Representative Mike Vartabedian said the machinists were determined to get “a fair contract that reflects the current economic conditions,” adding the workers were “trying to do the right thing and fight for a contract that will make life better for their families and they are a huge part of Cummins’ success.” The workers, he said, risked the health of themselves and their families by working through a pandemic to service generators that helped keep senior citizens in nursing homes safe and supported frontline workers throughout New England to save lives, too.

“We hope that they will present us with an offer that values the hard work of our members,” he added.

IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President Brian Bryant said the union would be using “all of our resources to ensure our members at Cummins receive a contract recognizing their hard work in making this company successful.”

The International Association of Machinists represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airline, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.

Jon Mills, a corporate spokesman, said the company was “surprised and disappointed” the employees went on strike this week.

“We have been negotiating in good faith and we offered an excellent compensation and benefits package that would incentivize our employees to reach their highest potential, which has been widely accepted at other Cummins branches across the country,” he said. “Nonetheless, we are committed to the collective bargaining process, and we look forward to getting back to the table. We are confident that we will be able to arrive at an agreement that is beneficial for the company while also providing an excellent wage and benefit package for our employees and their families.”

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