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BY ANDREA HOLECEK
Times Business Writer | Tuesday, October 12, 2004 | (No comments posted.)
EAST CHICAGO -- Workers in a majority of ISG Indiana Harbor's 19 departments have voted to work eight-hour rather than 12-hour shifts, which could mean more overtime and bigger paychecks.
Workers have been on 12-hour shifts since International Steel Group Inc. reopened the East Chicago mill in May 2002, about five months after it was closed because of the bankruptcy and liquidation of its former owner, LTV Corp.
But during negotiations on a new labor agreement, workers represented by the United Steelworkers of America Local 1011 won the right to hold future votes on working a normal eight-hour shift rather than alternative work schedule of four 12-hour shifts one week and three 12-hour shifts the next, said Jim Robinson, USWA District 7 director.
"That window has just closed," he said.
Last week, mill workers who would be affected by a restructured schedule voted by department on the change. Eight-hour shifts won the vote in 11 departments, the vote was even in one department and workers in the other seven voted to retain the alternative schedule.
Workers on the 12-hour schedule receive time and a half only when they work more than 40 hours in a seven-day work week, Robinson said. They usually work four days one week and three days the next, which eliminates overtime in the three-day week.
If they were to work an eight-hour schedule, they receive the overtime for working more than eight hours in a 24-hour day, he said.
"It's a trade off," Robinson said. "You get more time off when you work 12-hour shifts. People had the choice."
Eddie Gonzalez, treasurer of the local, said it's unclear how soon or even if the shifts will be restructured.
"According to the contract the company has a week to go to the eight hours or they have to pay time-and-a-half for all hours worked more than eight in a 24-hour period," he said Monday. "But what they're going to do is up in the air. I don't know if they have enough people to go to eight hours."
Cheryl DeCero, of Munster, a tracker driver in the hot strip mill, said there aren't enough people in her department to cover all shifts if the company were to make the change as its workers requested.
"Sometimes they work us (12 hours) six or seven days, that's 60 or 72 hours straight,'' she said. "They'd have to hire more people."
Andrea Holecek can be reached at holecek@nwitimes.com or (219) 933-3316.
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