- Workers are striking over wages and safety concerns.
- Management’s opening offers were below what the union wants.
- The shutdown could impact a popular shoe brand.
While some Americans may be broadly sympathetic to labor issues, people tend to care about strikes when it impacts them.
You may not think much about the broader issue of whether Starbucks workers should get paid more, but if your local coffee shop closes due to to a walkout, you tend to notice.
That’s why strikes can be effective. If they disrupt the supply chain and impact consumers, then people take notice. When the average American sees a closed store or shelves missing something they normally buy, they get angry.
That gives workers leverage and forces companies to the negotiating table. And that’s at least partly why striking workers at Twin City Tanning might get what they want from management.
Twin City Tanning produces leather for Red Wing shoes
You’ve almost certainly never heard of Twin City Tanning. Few people think about the origin of the materials used to make the shoes they wear.
In the case of Twin City Tanning, however, the factory produces leather for Red Wing Shoes. And if the ongoing strike continues, that could cause a supply disruption for the popular shoe brand.
“Workers at Twin City Tanning have been on a historic unfair labor practice (ULP) strike since Thursday, October 9, after their union contract expired the night before,” Workday Magazine reported.
This is the first time workers have gone on strike at this facility, located next to the Mississippi River. The union, Chicago Midwest Regional Joint Board (CMRJB), Workers United Local 150, is affiliated with SEIU and represents 67 employees at the facility, where a largely immigrant workforce processes animal hides into leather and fat products.
These are then bought by companies, such as Red Wing Shoes, for boots, clothes, upholstery, and foods.
Workday Magazine
The union called for the strike after management made what it considered a lowball offer.
What striking Twin City Tanning workers want
The union is demanding wage increases that keep up with inflation and has charged the employer with bad-faith bargaining, Workday reported.
Here’s what was offered:
- Initial offer: 25 cents-per-hour increase in year one, and ten cents an hour added in year two and year three.
- Revised offer: Management’s second offer was $1 in the first year and 70 cents in the second and third years.
“The union is now asking for an increase of at least $1.50 the first year, then 4% or 50 cents in the second and third year. They are also asking for two more personal days for a total of four, and a weekly attendance bonus of $40,” the website reported.
Key Twin City Tanning concerns:
- Workers highlight serious safety concerns:
“The masks they give us are not protective enough,” shared a worker at the facility. - They also point to long hours (8 to 12 hours a day, often weekends) and tough physical and chemical conditions (heavy rubber uniforms, heavy machinery, mixing drums).
- The union accuses the employer of bad-faith bargaining, including delays in scheduling bargaining meetings.
Source: Workday Magazine
Strikes tend to be a tactic of last resort for workers because they lose wages while not working.
“When workers go on strike, they picket. They vote on it. First of all, their union attempts to negotiate a contract with their employer. For whatever reason, they don’t come to an agreement, whether that is because the employer doesn’t want to agree or sometimes they actually do agree. But then the workers themselves reject the deal. So you do see that. And when that happens, the workers leave the facility and they withhold their labor,” Erik Loomis, Professor of History at the University of Rhode Island, told the Civics 101 Podcast.
Related: 71-year-old ice cream and burger chain closing final location
Recent strikes impacting consumers:
- U.S. Port Strike (2024-25): 45,000 dockworkers shut down East & Gulf Coast ports, causing major shipping delays and product shortages.
- Kaiser Permanente Strike (2025): 45,000 health care workers walked out, disrupting appointments and leading to longer wait times for patients.
- SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike (2024-25): Voice actors/producers struck over AI and pay, which delayed game releases and updates.
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