Shorewood resident Mike "Hammer" Pesek holds an American flag as striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Downers Grove resident Paul Patrickus (right) holds his 7-month-old daughter Scarlette as striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Pontiac resident Anthony Thurston (top right) reads an article from the World Socialist Web Site as striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Machinists are on strike at the Caterpillar plant in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Dolton resident Donna Rogers is seen outside as striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 gather outside during a vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 gather outside during a vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Morris resident Greg Johnson is seen outside as striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Morris resident Sharlyn Bokus is seen outside as striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Joliet resident Dan Governale is seen outside as striking Caterpillar machinists from Local Lodge 851 vote on a new contract at the operating engineers hall Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 1050 North East Frontage Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
JOLIET — Striking machinist Mike “Hammer” Pesek summed up the mood on Wednesday as hundreds of union workers packed into a Joliet union hall to vote on a new contract proposal from Caterpillar Inc. “I would rather be unemployed than Caterpillar slave labor,” he said. …
