Turnaround or Into the Ground, IUE-CWA Members Spread the Word About Private Equity

Last month, members of IUE-CWA Local 88502 greeted attendees at the annual Powdered Metal Management Summit in Chattanooga, Tenn., with critical information about their company, Metal Powder Products (MPP), a manufacturer of engineered metal components. The union represents members at an MPP facility in Campbellsburg, Ind., as well as members at two St. Marys, Pa., sites. In Indiana, bargaining a first contract has dragged on for more than a year, largely due to the company’s stalling and refusal to make meaningful progress at the table.

The union’s complaints revolve around the impact that private equity firm Mill Point Capital has had on MPP’s operations. Members complain that equipment repairs are delayed, heat and dust hazards go unaddressed, wages remain stagnant, and long-standing benefits have been cut. As a result, MPP now struggles to retain skilled workers that are needed to maintain the reliability its customers depend on.

“This is the private equity model: extract as much as possible, as quickly as possible, and then leave workers, communities, customers, and future buyers to deal with the fallout. MPP workers refuse to let that happen,” said IUE-CWA organizer Kindre Batliner.

Said IUE-CWA Local 88502 Vice President Jesse Merat, “If Mill Point Capital wants a success story with their MPP investment, they better start treating people right and putting money back into the business—to make sure it thrives. We want to be able to tell a turnaround story, not a run-into-the-ground one.”

The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating multiple unfair labor practice charges against MPP for surveillance, coercive interrogation, withholding raises, and unilateral changes to working conditions—all potential violations of federal labor law.

In Campbellsburg, members remain united and committed to securing a fair first contract that recognizes their hard work and ensures stability for their families and communities.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.