A US trade union in dispute with Valeo’s US subsidiary claims that it has the support of French labour unions representing workers at Valeo in France.
Rochester-based IUE-CWA Local 509 has released a letter of solidarity from the three unions in France representing workers at Valeo ‘condemning the company’s attempt to break its contract with Local 509 and expressing solidarity with their US counterparts’.
“We condemn Valeo’s failure to meet the contract signed between the management and your union and we reject the (company’s) call for global competition between factories and workers,” wrote the officials of the three unions.
IUE-CWA claims that Valeo filed for bankruptcy in December 2001 in an attempt to void an eight-year collective bargaining agreement it signed in August 2000.
“Three months after signing the contract Valeo wanted to back out,” said IUE-CWA Local 509 President Joe Giffi. “This is the company’s final ploy to take advantage of Local 509 members and make them pay for Valeo’s mismanagement.”
The French unions have released a statement pledging to raise the Rochester situation directly with Valeo’s corporate management.
“Our representatives at Valeo are negotiating with the (company’s) president to demand that Valeo’s commitments in the USA be honoured,” the French unions said.
