Law Director of Van Wert Supports Workers at Kongsberg Automotive!!

Last night, the Van Wert city council met and the mayor decided to make a statement about the Lock Out. From the Times Bulletin:

Van Wert Mayor Louie Ehmer took an opportunity to clarify the city's neutral position in the matter, saying, "I would just like to point out that Clair Dudgeon, Nancy Bowen and myself made a visit to Kongsberg Automotive. We were out there just to convey that we want the plant to remain in Van Wert, and we wanted to maintain open communication during this time... We also made a conference call to the governor's office, and they also stressed the importance of keeping the plant here in Ohio. Our purpose was to show the importance of keeping the facility in Van Wert and that the city and the county are concerned about the outcome for the company and the people they employ.. "

When questioned further about the administration's role, Ehmer emphasized, "We do not want to get involved in the negotiations... Whatever we can do to keep the lines of communication open, that's all we can do, to help the company as well as the workers."

The company locked out the employees. I’m not really clear on why the Mayor would want to stay neutral. These are, after all, neighbors and friends, aren’t they? Well, I didn’t have to wait long, there is support in local government. Again from the Times Bulletin:

City Law Director Greg Unterbrink offered words of praise for the locked out workers. "If [the lockout] is prolonged, there will be the chance of provocation, but I can tell you from sitting in on some union meetings, their union rep is telling them it's a lockout and they aren't supposed to do anything to provoke either side," reported Unterbrink.

However, he did not share the same opinion of Kongsberg management. "But I can't say the same for management," he stated. "I feel that companies in Van Wert should be good corporate citizens."