Dozens of Sutphen employees with Teamsters Local 284 are on strike against the Dublin-based fire apparatus manufacturer after negotiations halted last month.
Two dozen of the approximately 85 workers on strike lined up Tuesday outside of the company's Eiterman Road facility carrying signs and using a megaphone to voice their displeasure with the company. The employees and the company are working to negotiate a deal right after Columbus City Council approved a deal to purchase a new fire apparatus from the company in May.
The workers want a better contract and fair wages after they say they've been working without a contract since October and without a raise for about 600 days. The strike started last week and could go until at least late June.
One of their signs laid out what this strike could mean for fire truck production. The sign said the "wait time" for a new truck will double from three years to six years with the approximately 85 workers on strike.
Other signs voiced the Teamsters' frustrations with the company, including another that said "600 days since our last raise.... but we got pizza."
Sutphen employee Josh Shreve has been with the company for 19 years as a union member, but has never been on strike before. Shreve said the employees want to work with the company.
"We want to build fire trucks. I mean, we just want a contract to do it. We've got trucks done for the last nine months without a contract," Shreve said. "We worked with them and we just want to get back to the table."
The strike comes after warnings since October that negotiations were going poorly.
Teamsters Local 284 President Mark Vandak correctly predicted in a warning to Columbus City Council before they delayed purchasing a new $2.5 million fire apparatus from the company that a strike was "imminent."
Columbus City Council members came back a week later to approve the purchase with stipulations. The ordinance said the city can levy fees or cancel the purchase if the truck doesn't arrive on time and also stipulates that city staff will negotiate with Sutphen so that the company will not use non-union workers.
Firefighters with the Columbus Division of Fire say the city is in dire need of new fire trucks for the city's fleet. Firefighters have warned the fleet is in a crisis, which could result in gaps in the city's coverage of fire emergencies if another truck isn't purchased.
Sutphen said at previous council meetings that a truck usually takes between 14 and 16 months to completely build. If the strike extends much longer, that delay could happen and force city council to decide whether to cancel the contract or impose a fee on Sutphen.
A Sutphen spokesperson said in an emailed statement the company wants a resolution.
"Sutphen has and will continue to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement for all stakeholders. With multiple meeting dates set on the calendar for this month, we look forward to continuing bargaining efforts," the statement said. "We do not take what our business impacts lightly and recognize fire apparatus are an essential piece of equipment for so many. Because of this, we are hopeful that we will find an expedient and fair resolution for all stakeholders involved. "
Shreve and Sutphen said a late June date was set for negotiations to open again. Shreve said he was disappointed and wants a resolution earlier.
