Latest News

Caterpillar striker story: ‘We can’t give up’

Jul, 04 2012

(Peoria, Illinois) -- Shortly before machinist Randy Yeates went on strike, his car died and he got married for the second time.

It wasn’t a good time for his income to plummet. But Yeates, 40, of Joliet, who has worked at the Caterpillar plant on Route 6 for 18 years, said he’s making the best of a bad situation as the strike enters its third month Sunday.

“It’s a struggle,” Yeates said Wednesday as he picked up his $150 weekly strike stipend check at Local Lodge 851 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers headquarters in Channahon.

Yeates and his wife were in the process of buying a new house when the machinists strike against Peoria-based Caterpillar started May 1.

But he lucked out because his spouse has good credit and is employed as a teacher, so the sale went through.

“That’s basically what’s keeping us going,” he said of his wife’s salary and benefits.

By Cindy Wojdyla Cain
Source:

Follow @AggResearch