The lockout began June 30 just hours after members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 702 rejected the company's contract offer. Since then, several mass pickets have been or-ganized to show the unity of the 480 locked-out workers who work at three power plants and a mainte-nance facility.

The company said that without a contract workers are "unreliable" and claimed it was forced to lock them out. Bosses and those in management are working 12-hour shifts to keep the power plants running. In one incident in Augusta, Indiana, SIGECO bosses broke a water main while attempting to install new power lines.

Electrician David Able, a 36-year veteran of the company who works at the Warrick County power plant, said workers need to stick together. He pointed out that while nonunion truckers employed by unor-ganized coal companies are delivering coal to all three power plants, train crews are refusing to deliver coal to AB Brown, the only plant serviced by rail. Several workers said supervisors are taking the trains onto company property.

The central issues for workers are the company's attacks on pensions and health care. Unionists also oppose the company's demand for a five-year contract.

"All we want is a modest increase in our pensions. Ranked against other power industry workers, we're at the bottom of benefits, but the company says we're rich and greedy," Tony LaGrone, a mainte-nance mechanic with 17 years at AB Brown, told Militant reporters at a mass picket on July 5.

"Our cost of health coverage has gone up 200 per cent in two years, and the company is refusing to put a cap on it," said 26-year veteran Bob Snow. "With this contract, they want to completely eliminate our health care when we retire. That's outrageous."

Several workers explained they must pay out $50 a month for medical insurance for themselves or $100 a month for family coverage. Dental coverage is an additional $50 a month.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home