Opposing sides in Milton Steel strike agree to talks

Opposing sides in Milton Steel strike agree to talks

Hopeful eyes were cast towards a possible resolution on the 10-day old Milton Steel strike as both side agreed to go back to the bargaining table. All 99 union workers walked out Sunday, May 15, at 10:30 pm. Since then no single member has crossed the picket line. The two groups plan to meet Thursday, May 26, at a neutral location. Though a union source noted that the company and the union were like “night and day” when it came to demands, there is an air of guarded optimism hanging over the proceedings that a solution could be reached. The core of the strike stems from a dispute over a change in health care benefits. Under the old plan, workers were responsible only for minor co-pays on medicine. The new plan would require co-pays on hospital and doctor visits as well as deductibles. Milton Steel, established in 1929, fabricates structural steel for buildings, bridges, above-ground fuel storage tanks and pallet storage racks for distribution centers and warehouses.