Dominion Lockout Continues; No Talks Scheduled

RICHMOND, VA — A company imposed lockout is into its second week as of Wednesday of today and no new talks are scheduled between Dominion Transmission/Dominion Hope and United Gas Workers Union Local 69.

Among those affected by the company action are about 50 UGWU members locked out from their positions at the Leidy Storage Facility and the Finnefrock Compressor Station. They have been picketing peacefully since the lockout was imposed at 12:01 a.m. on September 7.

The company lockout has kept some 900 UGWU employees in five states from working, their places taken by Dominion management, other non-union employees, contracted companies and temporary hires. The company used the Yesterday’s Restaurant in Renovo last week to conduct interviews with prospective temporary workers.

The company imposed the lockout, it said, because union leadership had agreed to take a tentative contract settlement to its membership for a vote with a favorable recommendation, but a few days later notified the company the tentative accord would not be taken out for a vote.

A Dominion spokesman told therecord-online the company felt its customers “were vulnerable” and when the union did not agree not to strike, Dominion felt it had “no choice” but to impose the lockout. He said the company has others who can operate the massive pipeline system safely and Dominion is “confident it can meet all customer needs.” He said the company needed to be ready for the approaching demands of winter.

The spokesman said there had been no progress at a negotiating session on Thursday of last week and no future talks are scheduled, although he said the two sides “agreed to stay in touch.”

He said the company and the union had never been in a strike or lockout situation before.