Ecolab workers in Joliet OK contract, end strike

Union employees at Ecolab facilities in Joliet have returned to work after approving a new contract proposal on Wednesday.

The contract vote ended a strike that began Sunday morning.

Normal operations have resumed at the site,” Ecolab spokesman Roman Blahoski said Thursday.

A union official could not be reached immediately for comment on Thursday morning.

Workers in International Association of Machinists Local 124 went on strike after rejecting a previous contract proposal on Saturday, Union members on the picket line said the primary issue was a management proposal that would have imposed new limits on when workers could take vacation.

Minnesota-based Ecolab is a global maker of cleaning products and soaps.

The company employs 451 workers in Joliet, and 359 are in the Machinists union, according to Ecolab.

The company’s primary operation in Joliet is a 610,000-square foot manufacturing facility located on Route 6. The plant opened in 1972 and has been upgraded in recent years to increase production capacity.

Ecolab also has two large distribution facilities in the Rock Run Business Park, which is located off Houbolt Road near Interstate 80 in Joliet. Picket lines were set up at all three Ecolab facilities during the strike.