“At the end of three years, you’ve got no extra money left in your pocket,” Jakaub said.
The union is getting outside support from other labor groups. Jakaub said the USW Local 3298 out of Seneca Falls has been bringing water and food the picket line.
Xylem’s Auburn plant manufactures water and sewage pumps under the Goulds Water Technology brand. According to the company’s website, the Auburn workforce makes 2,500 residential and wastewater pumps each day at its 300,000-square-foot facility. The pumps are designed and engineered at a Xylem facility in Seneca Falls.
Two of the 175 striking USW workers work at the Xylem Seneca Falls site, with the rest employed in Auburn, Jakaub said.
Xylem officials issued the following statement on Monday:
“As part of the regular contract review cycle the United Steelworkers Local 9832 (USW) in Auburn, New York, chose not to ratify its contract with Xylem as of July 25, 2020. USW employees at the Auburn and Seneca Falls sites are exercising their right to strike. We are currently in communication with union representatives about timing of resuming negotiation, and look forward to doing so.”
175 employees strike during a contract dispute with the Xylem company in Auburn.
With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history.
