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The eBearing News
March 1, 2004
Strike Ends at RBC Nice Ball Bearings
copyright © 2004 eBearing Inc.
Workers at NICE Ball Bearings Inc. (USA, a division of Roller Bearing Company of America Inc.) are back
at work after ratifying a new contract, ending the strike which had idled NICE since November.
Located in the Philadelphia, PA, suburb of Kulpsville, Nice primarily manufactures inch-dimension
ball bearings and components.
The company's approximately 55 production workers, represented by the United Steelworkers, walked out
when their contract expired with union and RBC negotiators far from any prospect for agreement.
Although other terms were worked out, the two sides parted ways over RBC's proposed hike in employee
contribution to the health care package.
While the latest contract round began in late 2003, it actually is a continuation of contentious negotiations
and the original contract which expired in 2002. But negotiations came to an abrupt halt in 2002 when the
union missed a key filing deadline; RBC exercised its right to lock in the existing contract for another year.
When it came up again in 2003, the union and RBC were again able to reach agreement on everything except the
health care contribution portion of the package, a union representative told eBearing.
eBearing interviewed United Steelworkers of America spokesman Gerald Dickey, who indicated the workers
had negotiated to accept a small wage increase, new work rules to make the shop more efficient and to
restructure the shop floor.
By November 2003, he said, RBC and the union had agreed to a two-tier pay scale, permanently paying
new hires $3 per hour less than current workers who average $15 to $16 per hour. The two sides also
worked out a 1.5% per year wage increase package, work rule changes, and shop floor restructuring.
But, said Mr. Dickey, the union found RBC's insistence on a medical copay hike, "simply unacceptable."
Hourly employees had been paying $40 per month for their health insurance, but under the new plan RBC proposed,
the union said its calculations showed employee contributions could balloon as high as $300 per month.
"That," said Mr. Dickey, "is over the head of a guy making $16 an hour."
Health insurance benefits had been a problem on the agenda since the 2002 negotiations, when the
union said, "We have seen a steady erosion of these benefits over the past several contracts,"
then indicating how benefits had been squeezed since 1992.
When RBC completed its acquisition of Timken's Torrington Standard Plant operations, many RBC and Nice
employees, customers and vendors said the strike would be settled soon, since RBC
needs rings from Nice to supply the Standard Plant.
• article: RBC completes Timken Standard Plant acquisition
The USWA could not immediately be reached for comment about the contract settlement. RBC declined comment
on the strike or contract issues, but RBC VP and General Manager, Rick Edwards, told eBearing, "The strike
at Nice has ended, and we're in the process of returning to normal operations."
Founded by William Nice in 1902 as The Pressed Steel Manufacturing Company, his unground bearing business was
renamed The Nice Ball Bearing Company in 1914.
Nice was later acquired by SKF, and RBC acquired the Nice Ball Bearing Division of SKF in 1997.
Today, Nice produces a full line of precision ground, semi-ground and unground bearings and bearing
assemblies. The company focuses on special and standard inch dimension ball bearings for automotive,
industrial, lawn equipment, conveyor, material handling, medical and semiconductor equipment, bicycles,
automotive strut and steering column applications. Nice bearings have been sold exclusively
by SKF/MRC.
In 1941, Nice workers founded the bearing industry's first dedicated union by formally organizing
the Anti-Friction Bearing Workers Union. In 1962, the AFBWU merged with the United Steelworkers of
America to become USWA Local 6326. In 1999, it and several small locals were merged to become USWA
Amalgamated Local 6816, Unit 12.
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- by Bruce A. Carr
from individual research,
tips and commercial sources.
Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
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eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Entire contents Copyright 1999-2008, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
eBearing.com and "... for everything that moves" are registered
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eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Entire contents Copyright © 1999-2008, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
eBearing.com and "... for everything that moves" are registered trademarks of eBearing Inc.
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