As a flurry of shoppers made the rounds at local retailers for the biggest shopping day of the year, Ed Clemons sat outside Omnova, battling the cold with a small propane heater.
Black Friday officially kicked off the holiday shopping season, but, as Clemons noted, “not everyone” had the means to splurge.
“It”s not been easy,” Clemons said of being on strike for six months. “It”s bleeding everything that I might have saved or had in reserves.”
Clemons of Columbus is living the saying, ”when it rains it pours.” His son, daughter-in-law and 2-year-old grandson recently moved in with him after suffering financial troubles of their own.
“Christmas, the grandson”s gonna come first,” Clemons said. “Everyone else, we”ll do what we can.”
Clemons, a 27-year Omnova veteran, has another adult child and four other grandchildren, but they live out of town.
“Mommy and daddy won”t be getting Christmas presents. We have two kids; we”ll try to get them something,,” said Richard Conquest of Caledonia. “One way or another, Santa Claus is coming to see ”em.
“I”m trying to find another job and get away from all this. I can”t wait any longer.”
Conquest has worked at Omnova for 12 years; his father worked at the coated fabrics and commercial wall covering factory for more than 40 years before retiring because of the strike.
Members of the United Steelworkers Union Local 748-L voted 168-2 to reject the company”s offer, presented May 15. The new contract eliminated seniority rights; vacation, shift and job preference; and ended an incentives-based program, which ran the plant for decades, union officials said. Union members wanted to retain the same basic contract, in place for the past 30 years, without any pay raises.
Omnova and union officials haven”t returned to the negotiations table since July and still have yet to agree on a new contract. Since the strike began, a handful of people have retired or taken jobs elsewhere.
“I”m working somewhere else,” noted Aaron Mitchell of Columbus. He”s worked at the plant for 23 years and has three adult children and four grandchildren.
“I can see a pinch … but I”ve got 14 brothers and sisters. I”m used to hard times,” Mitchell said.
Garner Coley of Columbus has put in 37 years at Omnova. At 63, he could retire, but he”s holding out to get a better deal for his coworkers.
“I don”t do Christmas, so I don”t have to worry about that,” he said. “I”m thinking about my fellow brothers and sisters.”
Celebrating Christmas or not, the strike has been hard on all the Omnova workers.
“You limp through and make due with what you got,” Clemons said. “We make due with the strike relief fund, but that”s enough to keep groceries on the table.”
At 57, Clemons is “too young for Social Security and had planned to retire with benefits and enjoy the rest of my life.”
He”s been disappointed in the lack of support from local lawmakers, like state Rep. Gary Chism, a Republican from Columbus, whom he often sees driving past the plant. Omnova Solutions Inc. could lose its presence in Columbus, Clemons said.
Chism said the strike is an issue between the company and the union and declined to comment further on the matter.
After a year, the company could vote to dissolve the union, Clemons said. But he hopes the strike will end soon.
“Tomorrow would be nice, wouldn”t it?” Conquest laughed.
This year, Clemons is asking Santa for a paycheck: “I haven”t had one since May 21.”
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