Union: Workers locked out of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Amidst stalled contract negotiations over health care, safety, and staffing issues, dozens of workers have been locked out of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth as the plant’s owner, Entergy Corp., is barring all non-essential employees from the facility, a union representing many of the workers said Wednesday.
Utility Workers Union of America Local 369 said it currently represents 380 members at Pilgrim, or nearly 90 percent of the facility’s work force.
In a statement, Entergy said, “There is no employee lockout --- some of the affected bargaining unit members are receiving a paid day off while we work through these issues.”
According to the union, “there are no non-essential workers at a nuclear power plant.
The contract between Entergy and the union expired Tuesday, Entergy said. Contract negotiations continued throughout the night and into the morning, but an agreement has yet to be reached, said Entergy, which added that the union declined its request for a contract extension. According to Entergy, the union has stated that it reserves the right to strike at any time, and Entergy claims that this position is unacceptable.
“We are continuing to attempt to work through some of the issues today,” Entergy said.
Contract negotiations are taking place as the company enters the final stages of a six-year review process to renew the license at Pilgrim Nuclear; the current license is set to expire on June 8, the union noted.
In a statement, union president Dan Hurley said: “Entergy makes a million dollars a day in profits from Pilgrim Nuclear on the backs of hardworking men and women who run this plant safely day in and day out. It’s disgraceful and disturbing that Entergy would lock out the experienced workers that make the plant safe and profitable for company executives.”

LINK