By Angela Hatton
Metropolis, IL – Leaders of the Metropolis chapter of the United Steelworkers plan to explain a temporary restraining order to their members at a meeting Thursday. The move follows a judge's ruling Tuesday in Johnson County court that says union members violated the order. Representatives from both sides spent the majority of the day working out an agreement. Local 7-669 President Darrell Lillie says the judge's decision was fair.
"He has given us the opportunity to purge ourselves. In other words, if we can show that we can obey this order, we uh, will be able to, uh, stay here, and there will be no further actions taken."
Among the restrictions, the union must limit picketers to four per gate, and only one picketer may walk the line at a time. They must also stay within boundaries and not block vehicle entrances. Lillie's only concern is Honeywell did not give the union sufficient time to respond to the original allegations before taking out the restraining order September 24.