CLARKSBURG — The lockout of United Gas Workers Union Local 69 by Dominion Transmission and Dominion Hope has ended, according to a joint statement by officials from both parties.
Dominion and Union 69 entered into a new bargaining agreement Wednesday afternoon. The agreement is effective until April 1, 2017.
“This agreement will ensure our customers will not face the prospect of an unexpected walk out this winter until a new labor contract is reached,” said Frank Mack, Dominion communication project manager.
Since the last contract expired on April 1, officials chose the April 1, 2017, deadline for a new agreement since it is the end of the winter heating season, Mack said.
“The winter heating season is when customers need us the most, he said.
Craig Bradford, president of Union 69, agreed that this date was chosen based off the public need during the winter months.
“We thought that would get us both back to the table in good faith, and our main concern was protection of the public during the winter months,” he said. “It was a joint effort by Dominion and Local Chapter 69 to provide the best protection for the public, and we’re pleased to be back to work and continue bargaining.”
The agreement allows for employees to return to work at 6 a.m. Saturday. They will receive full back pay and benefits, according to Mack and Bradford.
“Contract talks are scheduled to resume by early October toward reaching a new contract,” Mack said.
The two sides have reached an impasse over retirement and health-care benefits for new hires.
“One of the issues is that for any newly hired person, their pension would no longer exist,” Bradford told The Exponent Telegram previously. “The pension would be taken away and replaced with a cash-fund that actually represents a decrease of about 40 percent. Currently, the pension fund is about $370 million overfunded, so there’s really no reason for that decrease.”
Another issue with the contract, according to Bradford, is that newly hired workers’ medical insurance would be completely eliminated when they retire.
Dominion has said those provisions have been approved by other unions and is company policy for non-union workers.
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