After nearly two months of negotiations, employees at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station have rejected the latest proposed contract with plant owner Entergy.
“Our members have clearly spoken and they reject Entergy’s continued demands for major concessions on healthcare, salary and staffing, which jeopardize the safety of our communities and the well being of workers,” said Dan Hurley, president of UWUA Local 369. “It’s despicable that after receiving a license renewal that enables the company to make $1 million a day for the next 20 years from Pilgrim, executives continue to insist upon shortchanging the hardworking men and women who run this plant, keep it safe and make it extremely profitable for management.”
When the previous deadline expired, Entergy locked-out employees.
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"We are disappointed the UWUA Local 369 workers at Pilgrim Station did not ratify the proposed contract," Pilgrim spokesperson Carol Wightman said in a prepared statement. "The Company believes its latest proposal to the Union addressed the Union’s concerns which were expressed during the current negotiation process and provides for a very competitive wage and benefits compensation package in today’s economy. In fact, the package includes the Union’s proposal on medical insurance. Today, the Company reached out to the Union and both parties agreed to continue negotiations tomorrow morning. The Company remains committed to continue to negotiate in good faith to bring the contract negotiations to a successful closure."
“Entergy must use these next few days to head back to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair contract, rather than engaging in irresponsible tactics that needlessly place our communities at risk,” said Hurley. “Throughout these negotiations, Entergy has instigated a series of moves – such as locking out the experienced workers who know how to run the 40-year-old plant – that show the company is not serious about safety. This is especially disturbing given the fact that Entergy has just been granted a 20 year license renewal.”
