Erie, Grove City GE Workers Join GE Unions from Europe, North America and Asia to Plan Joint Action

Mayo 11, 2018

Global GE Trade Union Network demands company develop fair and just social business model

For more information contact:
Jonathan Kissam, UE Communications Director
(802) 343 1745 | jkissam@ueunion.org

Members of UE Locals 506, 601 and 618 joined unions representing General Electric workers from across North America, Europe and Asia at the IndustriALL Global Meeting of the General Electric Trade Union Network in Toronto, Canada on May 7th and 8th.

The unions charge that “GE managements in North America and Europe have walked away from the workers and communities that built the corporation, destroying jobs and the opportunity for secure work for coming generations, leaving illness clusters, environmental damage and devastated local economies behind.”

UE Local 506 President Scott Slawson described the impact of GE’s attacks on unionized jobs in Erie. “It's not just about job security, it's about fear, it's about an uncertain future, it's about a lack of commitment to communities, to employees and their families.”

UE Director of Organization Gene Elk said, “UE is extremely pleased that unions representing workers from Europe, North America, and Asia met together and condemned GE’s pattern of abandoning communities like Erie, Pa. and Peterborough, Ontario, and will join our campaign to make the company accountable to our members.”

The meeting took place less than two weeks after GE workers in Europe and North America took part in a joint day of action to demonstrate against GE’s plant closures and plans to shut down R&D centres and cut innovation investments.

Photos: All meeting participants | UE delegation

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