Dozens of workers protested at the major U.S. weapons manufacturer Honeywell’s shareholder meeting on Monday. More than 200 workers at Honeywell’s uranium facility in Metropolis, Ill. have been locked out since last June due to stalled contract negotiations with the company on workplace safety, economic and seniority issues. In early March, Honeywell pleaded guilty in federal court “to one felony offense for knowingly storing hazardous radioactive waste without a permit in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act,” and was fined $11.8 million by the federal government.
Mike Elk wrote about the lockout and guilty plea for Working In These Times back in March. He appeared on Democracy Now! this morning to talk to Amy Goodman about the dangerous mistakes made by “scab” workers brought in by Honeywell and the close ties between the company’s CEO David Cote and President Barack Obama.
Elk also voiced his opinion that even progressive media needs to see lockouts like this as part of a wider struggle, not just as local stories, and says “The only reason you’re hearing about this lockout now … is because it is a uranium facility, it’s exciting.”
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