Lockout Resolved at Quad City Die Casting

According to local news reports, Quad City Die Casting in Moline, IL, and its unionized workers have resolved the contract dispute that resulted in a lockout of about 90 workers, beginning in late July. Quad City Die Casting produces aluminum and magnesium components in a range of sizes, from several ounces up to 20 lb, on 16 machines running from 400 tons up to 1,100 tons. The operation is a division of Moline-based QuadCast Inc., which also operates Davenport White Metal in Davenport, IA, and Red Oak Casting in Red Oak, IA. The workers, represented by the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, returned to work on September 24 after agreeing to a revised contract proposal last week. The local reports say the new contract limits the availability of temporary workers, and includes a 3% raise in wages over the next year. On July 26, after working without a contract for a month as negotiations continued, the workers were locked out of the plant in a move that Quad City Die Casting president Drew Debrey wrote was "necessary to protect the interests of our company, our customers, and ultimately your job security." Quad City had said that no more than five part-time workers would have been employed at any time, and only when 75 full-time workers were scheduled and no others on layoff. In a letter to the workers, Debrey explained that the part-tme workers would "reduce our costs so that we can meet the continuous demands of our customers to reduce our prices."