Strike over at Highmark-owned eyeglasses plant [The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]

Feb. 22--Union workers at an eyeglasses plant owned by Highmark Inc. have returned to work after a four-week strike.

Members of the United Optical Workers union Local 81408, who work in Newtown Square in suburban Philadelphia, agreed to a new contract with Davis Vision, a for-profit subsidiary of health insurer Highmark Inc.

The 115 union-represented workers walked off the job Jan. 23 after 10 months without a contract. Union members agreed to the three-year pact Saturday and were back at work Monday, George Yanoshik Jr., a Davis Vision spokesman, said.

During the strike, work from Davis Vision's Newtown Square plant was shifted to plants in New York and Texas. Production of eyeglasses was slowed during recent weeks due to the strike and "record order volume in January and February," according to a letter Davis Vision sent to its providers.

"With the strike ended, we are refocused on ensuring we are staffed to support this increased order demand," the letter from Davis Vision President Steve Holden states.

The Optical Workers' chief objection during contract talks had been a demand by Davis Vision to alter an incentive program from one focused on quantity to one based on quality.

"We are looking forward to changing our culture to one that is highly focused on continuous improvement and is customer centric," according to a statement from union stewards Joe Miller, Marshall Rauh and Ron Taylor.

During the strike, the union paid for a plane to tow a banner around Downtown that stated: "Stop Highmark B.S. -- Opticalworkers.com," in an effort to put pressure on the state's largest health insurance company.

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