Master Lock employees protest announced closure of Milwaukee plant
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- On Wednesday afternoon, May 31, more than 100 Milwaukee Master Lock employees and their supporters rallied to keep the manufacturing facility open.
After being founded in Milwaukee more than 100 years ago, Master Lock will soon shut its doors, moving hundreds of jobs out of the city. Master Lock's parent company recently announced the plant at 32nd and Meinecke will close in March 2024.
People who have worked there for decades say families will be devastated when the community loses yet another major employer.
Union members are desperate to save 350 manufacturing jobs in the heart of Milwaukee, saying it will hurt not just their families, but the entire community.
Members of UAW Local 469 walked the picket line for several hours Wednesday afternoon before gathering to make their voices heard.
But it still may not make a difference.
Annie Stabler has worked at Master Lock for 44 years. She said, "If Master Lock moves, it's almost like a death in the family, to me. And probably to my coworkers, too."
Which is why Master Lock employees are desperate for the company to reconsider plans to shutter the Milwaukee plant.
Outgoing Local 469 President Mike Bink said, "We're extremely disappointed that somebody from somewhere else could make a decision and just make it go away."
350 employees will continue through October, then the plant will ramp down. They'll lose their jobs when it closes for good in March 2024.
Bink said, "It can't do any good for the city. People are going to be struggling to find a job that pays two-thirds of that."
Lorraine Baker worries about what's next. She told us, "I'm 60 years old. I can't go out and compete with the 20-year-olds, trying to find a new job and new location."
Baker said she's too young to retire but too old to start over somewhere else.
She described her coworkers as strong, beautiful, intelligent people. "They come here every day to give all they can to Master Lock."
Which is why many described the closing as a slap in the face.
Yolanda Nathan is Local 469's incoming president. She said of Master Lock, "They don't care about the people; they just care about the money."
Nathan said the plant is profitable, which is why "We're hurt, devastated, confused. We don't understand what's going on or why the decision to close the plant happened."
After walking the line, several local leaders voiced their support.
Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale told the crowd, "It is spitting in the face of a community."
Former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes said, "Generations of people in this very community made Master Lock what it is today."
And Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson told the employees, "You guys have kept Master Lock alive in this community."
A Master Lock spokesperson said the company appreciates the impact closing will have on employees and the community.
They sent the following statement:
"We understand and appreciate the emotion reflected in the rally around the hard decision to discontinue operations here. This decision was not reached without fully appreciating the impact it could have on our employees, their families and the community. Our commitment is to work hard to minimize that impact, meeting with the union leaders representing our employees, our non-represented staff, and community leaders as we begin the transition. We are approaching this recent development as we have with our teams in the past, committed to transparency, honesty and empathy."
Local 469 President Mike Bink said the union is trying to schedule a meeting with Master Lock for Thursday.