Timeline | Libbey Glass strike reaches day 5 in Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio — Five days have passed since Libbey Glass workers fist took to the streets just outside the north Toledo plant.

Workers overwhelmingly rejected the company’s last contract offer on Aug. 9. Following the strike in 2016, this is the second work stoppage in nine years.

Dozens of workers have continued to march outside of the factory, and union officials confirmed workers are committed to picketing in 6-hour increments – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – until a contract is in place. Union members are asking for fair wages and lower healthcare costs, among other things. 

State representative Michelle Grim and state senator Paula Hicks-Hudson also published letters of support for the union workers.

Grim stated, “I firmly support these workers right to fair contracts that reflects both the needs of their families and the value of their labor….my hope is that an agreement can be reached where the workers feel that the effort they devote to the Libbey Glass plant is valued.”

State senator Paula Hicks Hudson wrote, “Toledo has a proud and enduring labor tradition…Respecting the worker voices at Libbey Glass will help continue to affirm the value of workers at a turbulent time for unionized labor.”

So far, Libbey has not responded to our request for comment. 

According to District 1 United Steel Workers, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur is set to be on the picket line this Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Here’s a history of labor disputes at Libbey Glass, including what led up to the current strike. 

On Wednesday, Aug. 20, WTOL 11 received word from an anonymous source that workers at the Libbey Glass plant were preparing to strike.

Union representatives from Local 700, one of the four unions that represent Libbey’s 900 employees, informed WTOL 11 that they were beginning to hand out strike schedules, with plans of walking out on Friday at midnight.

This source has been speaking to WTOL 11 since the start of contract negotiations last October.

The issue stems from contract negotiations not being met by Libbey. Back in March, a union representative from Local 500 told WTOL11 the company was trying to take away the employees’ collective bargaining agreement and erase employee seniority.

With the focus specifically on overtime and health insurance costs, union leaders told Libbey Glass officials they could meet Thursday in a last-ditch effort to hammer out a deal.

However, in a statement, the director of USW District 1 said a deal wasn’t reached.

This isn’t the first strike that workers at Libbey Glass have participated in. 

In 2016, more than a hundred members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers were joined by those in IAM Local 105 as they walked out of Libbey Glass.

Additionally, they were met in solidarity by the Glass Molders and Pottery Workers of Local 59.

They said they rejected what was called the company’s “last, best, and final offer.”

“This plant was a great plant at one time but they’re squeezing people right now and it’s wrong. People have to have a life and it’s wrong what they’re doing. They’re exploiting these people by trying to have them work twice as hard for the same amount of money,” said Jimmy Hoffa Jr., the Teamsters General President at the time. 

However, the focus is the same: mandatory overtime, strict attendance policies, and an older workforce worried about healthcare as well as the fact that employees took cuts five years ago when Libbey was in bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings.

The company said at the time, “Libbey is disappointed that our union workers have called a strike and walked away from the bargaining table…Libbey is prepared to run the Toledo Plant and Distribution Centers without interruption during the strike period.”

The strike lasted 15 days until a tentative deal was reached that held the line on those issues.

“I am writing to express my support for productive contract negotiations between United Steel Workers Ohio Local 700T, 65T, and 59M workers, and Libbey Glass. Toledo has a proud and enduring labor tradition that has contributed to a history of respect and dignity in the workplace, that bring out the best in all of us. As State Representative to Ohio’s 43rd House District, it is important that I lend my support.

I firmly support these workers right to fair contracts that reflects both the needs of their families and the value of their labor. I understand that these workers have made sacrifices in the past for the wellbeing of Libbey Glass through the 2020 financial crisis. I have confidence that their dedication, both past and present, will be given fair and full consideration during this process.

My hope is that an agreement can be reached where the workers feel that the effort they devote to the Libbey Glass plant is valued in a way that benefits not only the workers but the entire Northwest Ohio region. I encourage both the organization and its employees to engage in a fair and respectful bargaining process.”

Michele Grim, State Representative (District 43)

“I am writing to express my support for the union workers of Libbey Glass, who are currently engaged in an organizing effort supported by the United Steel Workers Ohio Local 700T, 65T, and 59M. Toledo has a proud and enduring labor tradition. As a former legal aid lawyer who understands the value of collective bargaining, it is important that I lend my support.

I firmly support these workers right to fair contracts that reflects both the needs of their families and the value of their labor. I understand that these workers have made sacrifices in the past for the wellbeing of Libbey Glass through the 2020 financial crisis. It is my belief that their dedication should be met with contract negotiations made in good faith that allow their members to proudly accept the terms under which their labor is compensated.

My hope is that an agreement can be reached where the workers feel that the effort they devote to the Libbey Glass plant is valued in a way that benefits the workers and in turn the broader community. I encourage both the organization and its employees to engage in a fair and respectful bargaining process. Respecting the worker voices at Libbey Glass will help continue to affirm the value of workers at a turbulent time for unionized labor.”

Paula Hicks-Hudson, State Senator (District 11)