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By Doug Cunningham

Four thousand UAW workers in six states are on strike against International Truck And Engine. The UAW struck the maker of Navistar trucks over unfair labor practices.

The UAW says ITE has violated labor laws and the UAW's contract. “International Truck and Engine has shredded our agreement, shipped
our work out of the country, and trampled our nation’s labor laws,”
said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. “When UAW members are on strike
for justice anywhere, they have the support of UAW members everywhere
and our entire union is standing shoulder to shoulder with our members
at ITE.”

UAw Vice-President General Holiefield is the director of the union's Heavy Truck Department.

“Our bargaining committee came to these negotiations with every
intention of reaching an agreement,” Holiefield said, “But it takes two sides to reach a deal -- and it has unfortunately become apparent that management at ITE is not yet willing to work with us to
negotiate a fair and equitable contract.”

The UAW says ITE broke labor law by unilaterally changing employment terms and conditions, ordered a lockout at a SPringfield, Ohio assembly plant and refused to provide the UAW barganing team with essential information.

“ITE executives moved our work to Mexico and to non-union plants in
Texas, cancelled our supplemental unemployment benefits, and ignored our job security program,” said Holiefield.

The UAW has filed unfair labor practices regarding ITE’s illegal
conduct with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board.

The union says it will return to the bargaining table if ITE stops its
unfair labor practices.

UAW members on strike include members of UAW Local 98 at the ITE
Indianapolis Engine Plant; members of UAW Local 226 at Indianapolis
Casting Corp., members of UAW Local 2274, who are ITE clerical and
technical workers in Indianapolis; members of UAW Local 2911 at Fort
Wayne Engineering; members of UAW Local 402 at the ITE Springfield
Assembly Plant in Springfield, Ohio; members of UAW Local 658, who are
ITE clerical and technical workers in Springfield; members of UAW Local 6 at the ITE Engine Plant in Melrose Park, Illinois; members of UAW Local 2293, who are clerical and technical workers in Melrose Park; members of UAW Local 472 at the ITE Parts Distribution Center (PDC) in Atlanta; members of UAW Local 119 at the ITE PDC in Dallas, and members of UAW Local 187 at the ITE PDC in York, Pennsylvania.