Anniston Star
March 3, 2003

Workers vote against unionizing

By Jason Landers
Star Staff Writer
03-03-2003

Workers at the Anniston chemical weapons incinerator recently voted against unionizing by a 2:1 ratio.

About a third of the Westinghouse work force participated in bargaining discussions. A total of 148 workers voted against joining the International Chemical Workers Union Council, a total of 68 favored the action.

Members of the bargaining group have not filed an unfair labor practice claim challenging the decision, and, therefore they cannot call for another vote on the matter for at least a year.

No one representing the union, which has members working at Solutia, returned calls seeking comment. Nor would representatives at the union's regional headquarters in Florida speak about the vote.

The Army currently operates seven chemical weapons demilitarization facilities, which are run by contractors like Westinghouse. These facilities are at various stages of operations. One, at Johnston Island in the Pacific, is in shutdown operations. Two stockpile sites are in design stages.

Unions have struggled to gain a foothold at any of the sites, although three unions have taken root at an Army incinerator operated by Washington Demilitarization Group in Oregon. Of the 579 employees there, 40 percent belong to either the Laborers International Union of North America local 121 or the Demil Trades Union.

Washington Demilitarization, which also operates an incinerator in Pine Bluff, Ark., is the parent company of Westinghouse.