Glazier workers strike over wages
Most of the area’s union glazier workers went on strike Saturday after they rejected a labor agreement offered by a group of local contractors.
The strike involves most of the 330 members of Glaziers, Architectural Metals & Glassworkers Local 513.
The union’s five-year labor contract with the St. Louis Glass and Architectural Metal Association expired Friday, said Dennis Stegman, a business representative for the local union.
Contract negotiations began a month ago and have continued. The Glass and Architectural Metal Association is composed of nine area contractors.
Many of the workers who voted against the contract said they were unhappy with provisions in the wage structure for cost-of-living increases, Stegman said. The workers are seeking a three- to five-year contract extension.
It was unclear Monday how many construction projects in the area have been interrupted by the strike emergency cash loans. Among the largest projects that have been affected is the SSM St. Clare Health Center being built by Alberici Corp. near Fenton.
Some project owners have standing agreements with the union to continue working through strike situations against a particular company. The glazier workers are honoring all such agreements, Stegman said.
Also, 11 smaller contractors have kept their union members working by agreeing to sign a future contract. These contractors follow the terms of the standard contract between the union and the association.
Stegman said he did not know the exact number of union members still working.
cboyce@post-dispatch.com
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Filed under: legal, management by Pascal