Supporter Rally for UAW Local 291 in Oshkosh

OSHKOSH, WI- (WISS) – It started on March 18th. Now, almost four weeks later, the union workers at Cummins in Oshkosh are still on strike. On Saturday, union representatives from all over Wisconsin supported United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 291 with a rally.

“It’s not just the 291 members that know what’s going on. It’s other locals. And it’s news outlets. We’ve got people from Madison, Milwaukee, Janesville, Racine, Green Bay here,” said Ryan Compton, President of UAW Local 291, the union chapter representing the workers of Cummins. “That’s what it’s about–to make sure that the guys who are on strike know that other people are thinking about them and they didn’t forget about them.”

 Melinda Koski, Director of External Communications at Cummins, provided this statement in an email to Civic Media.

“We have been engaging in ongoing, good-faith negotiations with union representatives at our Cummins Drivetrain and Braking Systems plant in Oshkosh,” Koski said. “We remain committed to exploring all available options to reach a mutually acceptable agreement while maintaining transparent communication with employees, customers, and stakeholders. Our next meeting is scheduled in the coming weeks.”

Compton said management at Cummins has agreed to hold conversations and negotiations on April 22, 23, and 24th, and then, if needed, additional dates will be scheduled in May. However, the workers have been without a contract since January 29th, a contract that Compton says management knew was expiring for over a year.

Rally Supporters

One of the supporters speaking at the rally on Saturday was a representative from the UAW Region Four, Joe Preisler.

“Nobody wants a strike. I don’t want to strike. Nobody does. Cummins put us here. Striking is not a career,” said Preisler. “It’s corporate America taking advantage of people. We’re not going to stand for it, are we?”

The incoming Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz spoke as a community member and union supporter, not from his position with the county. 

“I support the collective bargaining process, but you can’t have that if someone’s not coming to the table,” said Hintz. “So today, add my voice to those calling on Cummins to not wait until the 22nd. To come back immediately, to sit down and address these issues. And treat the men and women of Local 291 with the dignity and respect they deserve.” 

How to support UAW Local 291

Union workers are not paid while on strike, so the UAW helps support the members with its strike fund. Compton said donations from the community and other union workers help striking workers.

Compton said he has seen support from fellow union workers across the state and local supporters. He said even students from UW-Oshkosh who come across the picketers have donated food and have given what they could to the effort.

“We will continue to fight. It’s a fight. And sometimes, you take your hits, but you keep moving forward,” Compton said. “We didn’t get to where we were by not fighting plain and simple.”

Cummins, a global company specializing in designing and producing diesel fuel engines and generators, is headquartered in Michigan, has 3,700 service locations, 600 distributor branches, and over 75,000 employees worldwide.