By Ann Baskerville
JOLIET--Striking machinists at the Caterpillar plant in Joliet were joined on the picket line Saturday July 14, 2012 by several community members and two steelworkers who work at a Caterpillar plant in South Milwaukee. The Wisconsin workers stated their contract with Caterpillar is up in the coming months and they fear they may be in the same boat as the striking machinists at the Joliet plant.
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| Picket line outside the Caterpillar plant in Joliet, Illinois. The machinists have been on strike since May 1, 2012. |
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| Steelworkers from Milwaukee came down to Joliet to stand on the picket line with the machinists |
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| Picket line on Route 6 outside the Caterpillar plant in Joliet |
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| Machinists on strike at the Joliet Caterpillar plant |
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| Picket line outside the Joliet Caterpillar plant |
Around 7 p.m., two large buses left the Caterpillar plant to shouts of "scab" from the picket line:
Caterpillar has advertised for temporary workers for its Joliet location while the machinists are on strike, and has stated the plant has operated well using both the temporary labor and Caterpillar managers. Caterpillar advertised for temporary workers in local papers and on a digital billboard on I-80 and the Des Plaines River Bridge:
