Unionized workers of Contract Services Group in Hammond are holding a strike authorization vote Sunday after not being able to form a new bargaining agreement with their employer after the old contract expired in April.

United Auto Workers Local 2335 President Jaime Luna said the vote gives the union's contract bargaining committee the authority to call a strike, but doesn't mean workers will immediately leave their posts. Luna also said it's unlikely a strike could come as early as next week because negotiations are still ongoing.

The UAW covers about 44 workers at the facility, Luna said. CSG's facility at 2500 165th Ave. does subassembly work for the Lear Corp.'s Hammond automobile seat production facility located about one mile east.

"The company is looking for concessions," Luna said. "The wages there are rock bottom and they don't have any (health) insurance. That's the bottom line right there. They already don't make much as it is, there isn't much to give up."

Mirko Marich, president of Contract Services Group, said in a statement that the company and the union share the goal of forging a "fair and workable agreement that will allow the company to continue to offer good jobs to people in our community while maintaining viability and competitiveness."

However, Marich said he hopes the union votes down the strike authorization.

He said the company has been fortunate in maintaining its Tier II supplier status in the auto industry for more than 10 years. He also pointed to the fact that the automobile suppliers have had severe difficulties through the recession with many either shutting down or filing for bankruptcy.

"However, the fact of the matter is, to stay competitive, we have been pressured by our customers to do more for less," Marich said in a statement. "I believe we are all going to have to make concessions to make things work; and that's what this matter really comes down to, are we all willing to do it?"

Luna said he can't release specific details of what the union is seeking from the company, but that workers were seeking a pay increase and forging an agreement to have an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. The current wage for workers is $10.25 per hour, he said. 

Luna said the recent contract formed in 2006 was the first for the facility's workers and talks on forming a new contract started in March.

"The people in that plant are good people," said Luna, as he attempted to describe the workers' thoughts about the negotiations. "They work hard. They don't complain about much and they want to see how negotiations work out."