Workers are on strike at Henkel Aerospace in Bay Point, California. More than 80 members of the Machinists Local 1584 have been on strike for more than two weeks because they think management ignores unsafe working conditions that lead to the death of a co-workers.
The strike started on October 16th after contract negotiations broke down over improved safety procedures.
Industrial accidents in the past have included workers with significant third-degree burns, and a 26-year-old worker who died after he was pulled into a mixing machine and crushed.
According to the East Bay Times, the company did receive six OSHA violations and was fined more than $200,000.
Apparently, the mixer in question, is not only dangerous, but incidents with the machine are so common that employees refer to it as "taking a ride."
Workers are demanding better training, and they also make accusations against one supervisor for being racially biased.
Henkel Aerospace Industrial manufactures aerospace adhesive and is a subsidiary of the global company headquartered in Germany.
IEN reached out to the Machinists Local 1584, but have not yet heard back from the union.
This is IEN Now with David Mantey.
