UAW members on strike in Burlington visited by US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

Longstanding ties brought U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to the picket line Tuesday outside of Case New Holland Industrial's Burlington plant, where he was greeted by members of United Auto Workers Local 807 who have been on strike since May 2.

Mike Edwards, bargaining chairman for UAW Local 807, first met the former Iowa governor in December 1996 when Vilsack was forming an exploratory committee ahead of making his bid for the seat.

"I knew at that moment that he was going to be the next governor of Iowa," Edwards said. "I knew he would stand up for working folks and he did the entire time he was governor."

Vilsack never forgot the support he received from Edwards, Tom Courtney or other UAW members.

"In 1998, I ran for governor," Vilsack told The Hawk Eye. "I was looking for help and support. ... Mike Edwards, Tom Courtney and a number of other folks from the UAW, Dave Neil, who was the president of the UAW here in Iowa, were incredibly supportive of my efforts. Had it not been for guys like Mike, Tom and Dave, I wouldn't have won the primary and I wouldn't have been governor for eight years. I might be standing here today, but it wouldn't be as Secretary of Agriculture."

Courtney, who represented District 44 in the Iowa Senate from 2003 to 2017, also was on the picket line Tuesday. Before he was elected to state office, he worked at Case and served six years as the UAW Local 807 bargaining chairman.

"When we went to do contracts, the company couldn't wait to get into contract with us, see what they could get, see what we could get, all that. They were good to work with," Courtney said. "When we got an agreement, the company went out of their way to get booklets in here to be sure all members had a vote. This time, this company is just fighting everything this union does. ... If they didn't want a union, the time to fight that was a long time ago, not now, not in these times."

The company has presented the union with two proposals since the strike began, but neither has been put to a union vote due to what UAW Local 807 president Nick Guernsey and others have described as wage increases that would largely be wiped out by more costly health insurance plans and would not account for inflation.

More: What we know about United Auto Workers, Case New Holland contract negotiations

"When working people stand up for you, you can't forget that," Vilsack said. "When working people stand up for you, you can't forget that. You can't say, 'Oh that was a long time ago.' It's the same concept, it's the same people. It's the same fight for a decent shot, a decent shot at a decent life. That's what these people are standing up for."

Case did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tuesday was not the first time Vilsack has visited a strike line. In October, he met with UAW members on strike against John Deere. Less than a month later, the UAW approved that company's contract proposal.

"Fortunately, it wasn't long after that that things got resolved," Vilsack said of his visit with John Deere workers. "I don't know that it necessarily was a result of me showing up, but it was good that it got resolved quickly."

Still, some expressed hope that Vilsack's influence will result in a similar end to this strike.

"He's been around Iowa my whole life and he's done a lot of good things in the past for us," said Erin Sapp, second vice president of UAW Local 807 and an eight-year Case employee. "He helped John Deere and maybe his influence will help pull Case's heads out of their a-- and want to actually give us a fair contract so we can come back and build tractors, because that's what everybody wants to do. We want to get back to work and be proud of where we work."

Vilsack said his ability to influence contract negotiations between CNHi and the UAW is limited, but that he hopes his appearance will help to boost morale.

"I have an opportunity to come down here and say, 'I support you. I haven't forgotten you,'" Vilsack said. "That makes a difference, I think. It helps morale."

He said he also can inform the U.S. Department of Labor of his visit.

"The Secretary of Labor obviously has the ability to pick up the phone and talk to both sides and say, 'Look, let's get this resolved. How can we get to yes, how can we be fair to both sides, how can we get folks back to work making the equipment that's important to keeping America going?'" Vilsack said.

Vilsack's visit came just shy of two weeks after U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) held town hall events in Burlington and Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, to show his support for CNH's unionized employees.

Unlike Sanders, who spoke passionately on stage at the Crapo Park Bandshell, Vilsack made no speeches during his approximately 30-minute visit. Instead, he spent his time talking with small groups of strikers.

More: Bernie Sanders in Burlington: Corporations 'are stuck with an addiction called greed'

From Kim Alber, a Case employee for about nine years, Vilsack learned about the Gulfport, Illinois, fire station that has been donated for use as a strike kitchen by the city's mayor and Alber's husband, Delbert.

More: Burlington members of United Auto Workers Local 807 continue strike as replacement workers fill in

"Did he have a choice?" Vilsack asked with a laugh, to which Alber indicated he did not.

Alber expressed disappointment in the way negotiations have gone with the company.

"Nine years ago, when I came to work here, I was so happy," she said. "I couldn't wait to tell people that I finally got on at Case. Quite honestly, I love my job. I love the job that I do, and I love the people that I work with, but after all this ..."

Vilsack also spoke to Aaron Kennelley, a former engineer for Case who quit his job in solidarity with the strikers and has been a regular presence at the picket line ever since.

"I decided I only had one choice in the matter," Kennelley, who previously said he does not believe in crossing picket lines, told Vilsack.

More: 'I did not want to cross a picket line': Engineer quits at Case New Holland in solidarity with union

Walking alongside UAW members ahead of Vilsack's arrival as they kept a van in Case's parking lot for two minutes before allowing it to exit, Kennelley said he still doesn't know for sure what he's going to do next, but he is considering trying to get a union job.

"I'm definitely not going to be an engineer again," Kennelley said. "I'm hoping to get a union job for my next job. Watching this whole strike has made me do a lot of introspection and that kind of thing. I'm just ready for a change."

Vilsack said he is hopeful that the strike will end soon.

"I'm down here because I love these guys. I don't know the details of these negotiations, nor will I ever know the details of these negotiations, but what I do know is that I believe these guys deserve a fair shake, and I think that's all they want," he said. "And I would hope that in some point in time in the very near future, these folks aren't walking, making it difficult for people to get in and out of here because they want to send a message.

"And hopefully they don't have to send a message very long. Hopefully, they get back in that plant and start making the quality stuff they make every single day, the company can make profits, the folks who use this equipment can have the benefit of it, and America keeps rolling."

Guernsey said no date has been set for a return to negotiations.

Michaele Niehaus covers business, development, environment and agriculture for The Hawk Eye. She can be reached at mniehaus@thehawkeye.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Tom Vilsack visits UAW workers striking against Case in Burlington