Dominion lockout of unionized gas workers impacts several in area
Dominion’s natural gas and interstate transmission subsidiaries have locked out more than 900 union employees in six states over what the company said is the union’s refusal to have its members vote on a tentative four-year contract.
The lockout impacts several workers in Washington and Greene counties.
Dominion said in a news release Wednesday the lockout is effective for 915 United Gas Workers Union Local 69 members working at Dominion Hope and Dominion Transmission in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, New York and Virginia.
In Greene County, five union workers were protesting Wednesday morning in front of Crayne compressor facility along Route 188 near Waynesburg. Compressor station operator Aaron Kolat said the crew learned of the lockout from a voicemail message delivered by the company at 2 a.m. The crew inspects and maintains pipelines in Washington and Greene counties, along with parts of Allegheny County.
In addition to the five workers in Greene County, UGW Local 69 Vice President Jason Boyce said the union has three members at a Dominion propane loading facility near Charleroi who were also locked out.
Until Wednesday, union members were working under a previous labor contract that expired April 1. The company said the union refused to vote on the agreement signed Aug. 26, and its members can’t return to work until the contract is ratified. Boyce said the union took the Aug. 26 tentative pact to its executive board and representative counsel.
However, the counsel voted not to take the tentative agreement out for vote to the membership. The union informed the company of the decision and indicated its willingness to continue negotiating. The agreement gives union workers 2.5 percent raises in 2016 and 2017 and 2.75 percent raises in 2018 and 2019.
The sticking points, according to Boyce and some workers, has to do with the company’s proposed changes for new workers.
While the tentative agreement retains a company-paid pension and retiree health benefits for all current employees, new hires as of Jan. 1, 2017, would not be eligible for retiree medical benefits. In lieu of the pension, new employees would get a “cash balance” pension plan and an enhanced 401(k) savings plan, which Boyce said “is a 40 percent reduction” compared to the traditional pension plan.
The company said those benefits already apply to nonunion employees at DTI, Dominion Hope and other Dominion affiliates “including more than 3,000 other unionized workers.”
According to Boyce, the union wanted to avoid a lockout because of concerns over safety issues if the company brings in replacement workers that may not have the experience of the locked-out workers.
“Our job is to maintain those lines, keep it safe,” Kolat said Wednesday. “That’s our main concern, to keep the public safe. We could have struck on this a long time ago.”
Jeff Murphy, vice president and general manager for Dominion Hope, and Brian Sheppard, vice president of pipeline operations for DTI, said the companies made a smooth transition overnight following the midnight lockout.
They said the companies were continuing service by augmenting supervisory and other nonunion personnel with contractors and temporary workers trained to handle essential tasks.
The company said there would be no disruption in service during the lockout.
Boyce said a negotiation session is scheduled for today. The union also said in a statement on its website Wednesday that the two sides have also agreed to incorporate the services of a federal mediator.