CAT - Caterpillar workers prepare to strike as contract expiration looms

Union members at four of Caterpillar’s ( NYSE: CAT ) facilities in the United States threatened to strike as a contract between the company and the United Auto Workers expires tomorrow.

Workers at the maker of heavy machinery and construction equipment are asking for better pay, safety measures and healthcare benefits, Reuters reported.

The current six-year contract covers about 7,000 union employees at three factories in central Illinois and a parts and distribution center in York, Pennsylvania.

"We made loud and clear with our 98.6 percent strike authorization vote last month: The time when Cat management can treat us like slaves is over," a rank-and-file committee of workers said in a statement on February 10. "The struggle we face is about getting not just what workers want, but what we deserve. We’ve been losing every contract for decades."

Caterpillar ( CAT ) didn't respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Its website says the company will "continue to operate our facilities" with management and contract workers.

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