SIF: Lean Manufacturing: 'Plant Managers are Telling Managers that the Union has Value'

IUE-CWA is bringing members and employers together in a cooperative effort that saves jobs and helps companies become more competitive.

The Lean/High Performance Manufacturing SIF engages IUE-CWA members in the design and organization of their work, giving them more control over their jobs. Their increased efficiency has led to more job security.

Some non-union companies see lean manufacturing as a way to eliminate good-paying, quality jobs. But IUE-CWA has proven that it can be used in a way that benefits both workers and employers.

The program helped stop the outsourcing of jobs to Mexico from Horton Automatic in Corpus Christie, Tex., where members of Local 86122 make sliding doors and power windows. “We are working to get a true lean program, not just the company wanting more production,” Local President Daniel Uribe said. “Over the past 10 years Horton has tried lean its way by telling us what to do but never asking for our input. It never worked. This time we think it will work and we could get up to 200 more jobs within the next five years as a result.”

Done right, “lean can help secure jobs and secure a plant’s future,” said Mike Mayes, one of IUE-CWA’s new lean process facilitators and former Local 84755 member. He said a critical step is more open dialogue between labor and management. And when the program is underway, employers must commit to no layoffs.

The results have been so positive that, “Plant managers are actually telling managers at nonunion plants that working with the union has value,” Mayes said.

The lean program at GE Appliance in Louisville, Ky, has saved jobs for IUE-CWA members who make refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines. After the program got underway, the company announced it was bringing back jobs from China for work assembling washing machine pedestals. Two years ago, workers were worried about steep job losses because of reduced profits.

“We are more productive today because the company listened to our input,” Local 83671 President Jerry Carney.