Teamsters picket at the beginning of December outside MonoSol's plant in LaPorte.
After a contentious lockout, MonoSol and Teamsters Local 135 have reached a new agreement at the LaPorte plant.
About 190 workers were locked out for about a month when an impasse developed regarding concerns about forced overtime of up to 22 hours a week, and prevention of workers from calling off sick or dealing with family emergencies.
The union sought pay increases because workers didn't get bonuses while working through the coronavirus pandemic. They also expressed concerns about claims of discrimination at the plant.
MonoSol employees voted to ratify the new four-year collective bargaining agreement.
The contract covering 192 employees represented by Local 135 includes pay increases, $6,000 signing bonuses, improved bonuses and financial incentives for attendance, and voluntary overtime. The company, a division of Tokyo-based Kuraray Group, guaranteed no mandatory overtime for two years.
The no-overtime policy may be extended to a third and fourth year if certain criteria are met.
“We are pleased that we have reached agreement and now begin the process of welcoming our employees back to work,” MonoSol Vice President Matthew Vander Laan said. “We look forward to continuing the employee brainstorming sessions that began this past summer to reset the dialogue, strengthen our relationships and build trust consistent with our shared mission, vision and values.”
Employees will start returning to work Jan. 3, 2023. They will get holiday pay for Christmas and New Year's Day.
MonoSol is based in Merrillville and has plants in Portage and the AmeriPlex at the Port business park in Portage. A major supplier to the Fortune 50 multinational consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, it makes water-soluble film for Tide Pods, Cascade Pods and other single-use detergents and dishwasher soaps.
The previous contract expired at the end of November. The company and the union initially failed to reach a new agreement after weeks of negotiation, resulting in the lockout at the LaPorte plant. Workers had been picketing outside the plant with a giant inflatable Scabby the Rat since then.
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