Local 1595 forge workers were striking

Twenty-five years ago this week, local workers were fighting for a better contract.

The May 1, 1998, edition of The Commercial Review featured a story about members of Local 1595 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace going on strike and shutting down Portland Forge for the first time in nine years.

The strike involved 67 forge workers who had turned down a new contract when they voted the previous afternoon. They then voted to approve a strike.

Portland Forge was forced to shut down as members of Teamsters Local 135 and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Shipbuilders, Blacksmiths and Helpers acknowledged the strike and refused to cross picket lines.

Machinists union president Pete McAbee declined to give details about the reasons for rejecting the contract, saying it “was a combination of things.”

The machinists union included workers maintenance, the dye shop, trim setup, tool and die shop electricians, welders and tow motor mechanics.

Members of the other two unions — about 190 employees in total — had approved the contract Thursday. Their presidents had no comment on the strike.

Forge president Charlie Freel also declined to comment beyond saying he hoped “it would be settled quickly, for the workers and the customers.”

The previous strike at the forge in 1989 lasted for a week.

While union workers were not on site at the facility, all non-union personnel, including office workers, were on the job as usual, Freel said.

A new meeting between Portland Forge and Local 1595 officials had not yet been set.

“Our committee is ready to get with the company and get back to work,” said McAbee, who had worked at the forge for 35 years.