By Angela Hatton
Metropolis, IL – United Steel Worker union representatives and Honeywell Corporation officials are one week out from negotiations. Locked out employees at the nuclear fuel plant in Metropolis have been without work since the end of June. Union and Honeywell negotiators come back to the bargaining table July 27 and 28. USW Staff Representative Kevin Smith says the union's position has not changed in the three weeks since the last bargaining session.
"We hope the company has changed their position, and they don't have to keep us on lockout. We can continue to bargain, they can put these workers back to work. They can start making product."
Honeywell continues to employ salaried and temporary workers at the plant, though a lack of training prevents these workers from producing the final product, uranium hexafluoride. Honeywell spokesman Peter Dalpe [DAL-pee] says the staff is undergoing training to bring the facility to full operation. Dalpe declined to release details of upcoming negotiations, but says the company's goal remains "to reach a fair and equitable settlement."