Aug. 22, 1986 The Kerr-McGee Corp. agrees to pay the estate of the late Karen Silkwood $1.38 million, settling a 10-year-old nuclear contamination lawsuit. She was a union activist who died in 1974 under suspicious circumstances on her way to talk to a reporter about safety concerns at her plutonium fuel plant in Oklahoma.
Unions such as Teamsters Local 992 have played and continue to play a great role in balancing the scales for working people. It is a documented and statistical fact that corporate America has benefited from the economy while income equalities continue for working Americans.
That is why more and more workers are joining unions. Union membership in 1999 rose by more than 265,000 new members, the largest increase in 20 years. The labor movement has fought hard to secure many benefits that are now enjoyed by workers across the nation. A few examples are ...
The 40-hour work week
The 8-hour day
Higher wages
Employer-paid health insurance
Retirement plans
Sick leave
Paid time off for vacations and holidays
Safety and health protections
There are other things that you cannot put a price tag on: Dignity, respect, a real voice ion the job, and betterment for working families.
At Will vs Just Cause
In the State of Maryland employees not covered by a union contact can be terminated for any reason, or for no reason at all. However, employees covered by a union contract can only be terminated for proven just cause. Simple words, but they mean a lot. It means that the employer can not arbitrarily terminate an employee.
In your copy of the union contract you will find information about the grievance and arbitration procedures that spell out what needs to be done when an employee believes that h/she is being disciplined unfairly by an employer.
General Membership Meetings
are suspended for the summer months
of June, July and August, per the
unanimous vote of members
at the May 18, 2025 meeting.
Dates for the September meetings
will be posted in August.