The Global Glass Alliance of Unions at Owens Illinois (O-I) officially announced their coalition of workers at the company in four continents to CEO Al Strouken on 10 January 2013. The alliance will rally globally during the week of 4 February in joint protest of the company’s increasing hostility to its workers.
IndustriALL Global Union affiliates representing O-I workers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, numerous countries in Europe, Indonesia, Peru, and the US, along with the O-I European Works Council, formed the alliance as recent company policy of cutting labour costs, labour rights and jobs has hit workers everywhere.
The newly confrontational labour relations strategy is coupled with a flawed business strategy of other cuts and giving up market share. The Alliance states in its 10 January letter to the O-I CEO:
O-I’s primary strategy to cut jobs, cut production, cut research and development, cut capital investment and give up market share in response to short term market fluctuations is not a formula which will yield either current or long term success.
