Contacts: Heather Anderson – (304) 489-3961; Tony Montana – (412) 562-2592
Clarksburg, W.Va. – The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that in a settlement with Region 6 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Europtec USA, Inc. has agreed to end its illegal lockout of 29 USW Local 567 members at the company’s Clarksburg glass processing plant.
“We are pleased that Europtec management has decided to abort its illegal attempt to starve our families into accepting unfair and unnecessary concessions,” said USW District 8 Director Billy Thompson. “We look forward to resolving the outstanding issues in good faith at the bargaining table.”
In the settlement, management has agreed to pay union members back wages for the full duration of the dispute and begin recalling its USW represented employees to work next week. Last week, the USW estimated the liability for backpay during the lockout to be about $200,000 and growing at a rate of approximately $20,000 per week.
“The solidarity of our membership has been tested before and will be tested again,” Thompson said, “but each time an employer picks a fight, we have proved that we are strongest when we are united.”
USW members returning from the lockout will resume working under the terms and conditions of their collective bargaining agreement that expired in October 2015 and not the “last, best and final” contract offer that the company illegally implemented in February 2016.
The USW filed unfair labor practice charges on July 11, 2016, when workers at the former Eagle Glass facility were locked out of their jobs, and on Aug. 29, NLRB Region 6 notified the union that it planned to prosecute Europtec for the illegal lockout.
The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.