Company’s truck drivers on strike

Alana Roberts

Monday, Jan. 3, 2005 | 10:49 a.m.

More than 100 truck drivers at uniform and linen company Mission Industries are on strike after contract negotiations broke down with the company Thursday and Friday over a proposal to increase workers' contributions to their health care plans.

The 111 workers have been on strike at Mission Industries' three Las Vegas Valley locations since Friday at midnight, Gary Mauger, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 14, said this morning.

Mauger said the union has no plans to meet with company negotiators and a federal mediator to resolve the dispute. The workers voted Thursday to reject a company contract offer and to strike, Mauger said. He said on Friday the workers rejected another company offer and again voted to strike.

Negotiations between the company and the union began in November.

"It boils down to the company's reluctance to share equally any increased costs," Mauger said. "The company gave us an offer on wages that the individuals would be making less based on the increased medical (costs) than we are today."

The workers are commercial truck drivers who make $19.17 an hour. Mauger said the company's three-year contract proposal would result in the workers making contributions of $201 a month to their health care by the end of the contract. He said that would be in addition to the $54 a month they're already paying in health and welfare contributions.

David Spurlock, corporate counsel of Mission Industries, could not be reached for comment this morning.

Mauger said currently the workers are paying 50 percent of the health care costs and that the union offered to make the similar contributions to health care costs in the new contract.

He said this is the first strike the union has had since 1973.

"We're willing to share equally (with) the company on any increased health and welfare costs," Mauger said. "We just need to company to step up."