Striking Hy-Brand Workers Rally for "Safety Before Profits"
Milan, Illinois - A group of workers from Hy-Brand Industrial Contractors in Muscatine will travel to the Quad Cities Wednesday to send a message to company executives that it's time to address the safety hazards and abusive treatment they say they have experienced. Workers will gather with community supporters at 11:30am in front of the headquarters of their parent company Brandt Construction, located at 700 Fourth Street W in Milan, to speak out about the working conditions that led several workers to strike last week for safe jobs and respect.
Wednesday's action marks the third action workers and community supporters have taken recently to call on Hy-Brand management to meet and address workers' concerns. Last week, a delegation of religious leaders delivered a letter to the company's Muscatine office, requesting a meeting to discuss working conditions. The letter was signed by clergy from five local churches and the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, a nonprofit worker' rights organization based in Iowa City. Later that day, several Hy-Brand workers went on strike to protest ongoing safety hazards and repeated instances of verbal and physical abuse by managers. Hy-Brand has not responded to the striking workers or the community delegation.
WHAT:Rally for Workplace Safety
WHERE: In front of Brandt Construction, 700 Fourth Street W, Milan, IL
WHEN: Wednesday, July 15 at 11:30am
WHO: Striking Hy-Brand workers and community supporters
Hy-Brand workers say they are taking a stand for each other and for their families. "I've seen too many near accidents and co-workers injured that could have been prevented," says striking worker Dakota Upshaw. Co-worker Austin Hovendon agrees, "I was worried most days that I wouldn't make it home to my wife and children because of the unsafe working conditions and the lack of training."
In just over a week, their struggle has already won the support of a broad network of groups, including rally co-sponsors Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, Ironworkers Local 111, Quad City Federation of Labor, Social Action Office of the Diocese of Davenport, Tri-City Building Trades, UFCW Local 431, and Quad Cities Interfaith.

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