In regards to the recent ads placed by Progress Casting putting down the union’s presence in New Hampton, we would like to clarify and make accurate the false statements and accusations.
    The GMP union did not approach employees about needing to “unionize.” The employees approached GMP looking for help. To do that, it is required by law that 30 percent (roughly 28 employees) or more have to file the initial petition. Fifty of the employees got together, and the petition was filed.
    Union jobs statistically provide higher wages and better benefits than non-union factories. This would mean more money being spent in the community and would only help the community as a whole. As many people will remember, a local grocery store that was once open 24 hours a day went to shorter hours and later closed after the closing of the Sara Lee plant in 2000.
    Sara Lee did not close because it was a unionized plant. Those union jobs put many kids through school, put lots of food on a lot of tables, bought clothes, paid off houses and cars, and kept the community prosperous for many years. Corporate greed and sending jobs to Mexico are what closed it. Progress Casting has union shops that continue to be profitable while paying substantially higher wages than the employees in the New Hampton plant will ever see, unless they unionize.
    The GMP local union is NOT a third party, but would consist of the actual people employed at Progress in New Hampton today. Local unionization means “LOCAL.”
    How ironic that Progress will sign a contract with their own vendors and suppliers for the materials they receive and supply to others, but are trying desperately to resist the signing of a contract with the hard working people in this local facility.
    Can they explain how other Progress Casting employees are worth about $5 more per hour than the people who work in the NH plant?
    We believe the community would be interested in seeing the local work force become more profitable, thus the community would become more profitable.

Thank you for your time,

Concerned Progress
Casting employees