Workers at Batesville Products in Lawrenceburg are on Strike

Workers will be picketing outside Batesville Products daily as they fight for recognition of their union with Teamsters Local 135.

(Lawrenceburg, IN) — Workers at Batesville Products in Lawrenceburg voted unanimously to strike for union recognition beginning Monday, May 11, at 6:00 a.m.

The group — consisting of machinists, polishers, shipping and receiving workers — is organizing with Teamsters Local 135 after raising concerns over workplace conditions, excessive overtime, wages, and declining benefits. Workers say many employees have been working
mandatory 60-hour weeks for months with little improvement to conditions inside the facility.

After building majority support among the workforce, employees requested voluntary recognition from the company on April 28. When the company declined to recognize the workers’ union, the employees moved forward with filing for a representation election through the National Labor Relations Board. Workers say they have since experienced delays and anti-union tactics designed to slow down the process and weaken support for their organizing effort. In response, the workers held a strike authorization vote and voted unanimously to withhold their labor to demand recognition of their union and respect on the job.

“This is about workers standing together and demanding a voice in their workplace,” said Teamsters Local 135 President, Dustin Roach. “These workers built their majority themselves, they organized themselves, and now they are prepared to stand together on the picket line for as long as it takes to win the dignity, respect, and representation they deserve. Workers should never be intimidated or delayed for exercising their federally protected right to form a union.”

“We’re not asking for anything outrageous — we’re asking for respect and a real voice on the job,” said one Batesville Products worker involved in the organizing effort. “We work hard every single day, we sacrifice time away from our families, and we deserve the right to stand together and negotiate for better conditions. That’s why we voted unanimously to strike for recognition of our union.”