Mercury Marine, union continue talks

Article from The Business Journal of Milwaukee

Management of Mercury Marine Inc. continued negotiations with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Fond du Lac on Tuesday in talks aimed at saving about 1,900 local jobs.

The two sides resolved several items and remain on track to meet the target of completing negotiations by Aug. 17, according to a statement issued by the company.

Representatives of the company and the union met for about seven hours Tuesday.

Negotiations were scheduled to continue Wednesday morning, with additional sessions planned for Thursday and Friday, if needed.

Mercury Marine is attempting to decrease the level of underutilization of its facilities and consolidating its operations in either Fond du Lac or Stillwater, Okla., is being considered.

If an agreement is reached, union members would then vote on ratification. A decision by Mercury Marine regarding its next step would be determined in part by the union’s response to the tentative agreement, company management said.

The marine engine manufacturer employs about 1,900 workers in Fond du Lac, split about evenly between hourly production employees at its factory and salaried personnel at the company’s corporate headquarters.

Mercury Marine is a subsidiary of Lake Forest, Ill.-based Brunswick Corp. (NYSE: BC) with about $2 billion in annual revenue.