Union workers at Metal Powder Products (MPP) protested on May 27 against the company’s alleged failure to negotiate a fair contract and purported labor violations. The protest occurred outside MPP’s facility in Campbellsburg, Indiana, during shift changes when employees were not working.
For almost a year, the union has been negotiating with MPP management without reaching an agreement. Workers have expressed dissatisfaction over the company’s reluctance to agree on basic improvements such as fair wages, raises, 401(k) matching, affordable insurance, and the restoration of earned vacation time.
The National Labor Relations Board is investigating four Unfair Labor Practice charges against MPP. These include coercive interrogation of employees, surveillance for union activity, withholding raises and refusing evaluations, and conducting surprise searches without union bargaining.
One MPP worker described a police search at the facility: “It felt like a raid — police with dogs going through the facility with no warning… We’re not the enemy. We’re the people who’ve kept this place running.”
Despite being a major employer in Campbellsburg, workers argue that MPP’s actions do not reflect community values or responsibility. Concerns are also raised over Mill Point Capital’s recent sale-leaseback deal involving MPP’s real estate, which workers fear could affect long-term stability.
In St. Marys, Pennsylvania, MPP union workers authorized a strike after rejecting contract offers multiple times. They criticized modest raises offset by increased healthcare costs and cuts to benefits like 401(k) matching and bonus pay for perfect attendance.
MPP manufactures powder metal components for various sectors and is owned by Mill Point Capital. IUE-CWA represents production workers at three U.S.-based MPP plants.
