Industrial Mechanic

Mauser Packaging Solutions at the lubricant Expo Europe show! Lubricant Expo Europe is one of the industry's leading events connecting suppliers and buyers across the lubricant value chain. Bringing together professionals from over 80 countries involved in finished lubricants, additives, process equipment, machinery, automation systems, and manufacturing equipment, the show highlights the technologies and innovations shaping the industry. From product protection to shelf appeal, packaging plays an important role in the lubricants industry. Mauser Packaging Solutions provides durable plastic bottles and lube oil cans designed to help protect products, simplify handling and storage, and stand out in a competitive marketplace. And with options that incorporate PCR available, Mauser Corp. help customers find additional opportunities to make an impact. Visit Mauser Corp. in Hall 10, Booth 265 to learn how Mauser Packaging Solutions can support your lubricant packaging needs with reliable products and expert service. Date: September 15 -17 Location: Düsseldorf, Germany Stand: Hall 10 | Booth 265

Mauser to close striking Chicago facility, affecting 168 employees. The Chicago situation mirrors what happened in Seattle this summer, when Mauser closed a plant where workers were striking. A Mauser Packaging Solutions subsidiary, Industrial Container Services, is "tentatively" closing a facility in Chicago where Teamsters members had been striking since June, a Mauser spokesperson told Packaging Dive via email. This is not the first instance this year of the company closing one of its facilities amid an employee strike. The Chicago closure is slated for Nov. 21 and would affect 168 workers, according to a worker adjustment and retraining notification filed with the state of Illinois. Going forward, the company will "leverage its operational footprint across other Midwest facilities to serve customers in the region," according to the spokesperson. And Mauser "will be meeting with our employees' representatives concerning this decision." The closure comes after a "thoughtful evaluation" as this Chicago site faced "a range of operational challenges" and shifting market dynamics, such as lower demand and heightened competition, the spokesperson said. The company therefore determined this site "no longer aligned with our broader strategy to optimize resources and efficiently allocate capital for the benefit of both our company and our customers." "Closing this facility was not an easy decision, especially knowing the effect it has on our team members, their families, and the surrounding community," President and CEO Mark Burgess said via email. Members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 705 began striking June 9 at this facility, which reconditions steel drums. That same week, Mauser Teamsters members in Los Angeles and Minnesota began labor actions in solidarity with Chicago. Mauser is based in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, Illinois, and has sites across the world. The rigid packaging solutions manufacturer has three other production locations two miles or less from the plant that's set to close, with a total of 10 in the greater Chicago area. Mauser did not include information about the Chicago strike in its email Tuesday, and it did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the strike over the last month. Neither the International Brotherhood of Teamsters nor Teamsters Local 705 provided comments about the Chicago strike or facility closure following multiple requests from Packaging Dive in recent weeks. Companies rarely permanently close facilities where employees are striking, and in some cases it's illegal. However, it's difficult for a union to prove closures are due to a strike instead of business conditions, and laws tend to favor employers, a labor expert told the Chicago Tribune. Similar strike scenarios. The Chicago situation mirrors what occurred at a facility in Seattle earlier this year. A contract dispute broke out there, and in April Mauser reportedly locked out 20 employees. In July, Mauser closed that facility, and "our Union negotiated a separation agreement on behalf of our membership," Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Paul Dascher told Packaging Dive via email. "We utilized the Washington State Labor Council workforce development program to assist our members seeking employment to find jobs elsewhere." Mauser did not respond to a September request for comment about the Seattle closure. Kimberly Braam, communications director at Mauser Packaging Solutions, said via email in June that the company remained "committed to reaching a fair agreement and safeguarding the long-term viability of our operations" in Chicago, and it regretted the union's choice to strike during a time of economic uncertainty. At that time, the union accused Mauser of failing to present a fair contract, and said workers requested higher wages, better benefits and safer working conditions. Safety and immigration concerns. Teamsters Local 705 posted multiple statements, images and videos on its website this year - most recently on Sept. 22 - detailing grievances regarding the Chicago site. They claimed Mauser fostered dangerous working conditions, including exposing workers to harmful chemical emissions, and did not always provide workers with adequate protective gear.