Incinerator workers may unionize: Anniston facility would become nation’s 2nd chemical demilitarization plant to have union

By Rob Jordan
Star Staff Writer
07-21-2004

Workers at the Anniston chemical weapons incinerator soon may become only the second such workforce in the nation to unionize. If workers approve the proposal in a vote set for Aug. 8 and 9, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 136 and the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry Local 498 will represent the majority of workers there in collective bargaining with the Army’s site contractors, according to federal regulators. The incinerator would join the Army’s Umatilla, Ore., incinerator as the only unionized chemical demilitarization facility of eight nationwide. Lee Johnson, an organizer with the IBEW Local 136, cited what he said were incinerator employees’ complaints about inadequate pay, perceived favoritism, unpredictable policy changes and unclear scheduling rules. "The issues are basically what they are at any job," Johnson said. Officials with Westinghouse Anniston and General Physics, the Army’s site contractors, declined to comment Tuesday. The union mandate would cover 283 of the facility’s non-managerial employees, excluding those in security, clerical work, lab work and other specialized positions, according to C. Douglas Marshall of the National Labor Relations Board in Birmingham. Under federal labor law, Westinghouse and General Physics would be required to negotiate with the IBEW and UA "in good faith" for up to three years before the contractors could challenge the bargaining situation. "If they walk in, put their feet up on the table and don’t respond, that’s not good faith," Marshall said. The move to unionize began in February, according to Johnson, when an incinerator employee contacted the IBEW. After gaining the approval of at least 30 percent of eligible employees, as required by federal labor law, the IBEW and UA filed a petition with the labor board June 29. Fifty percent of ballots cast plus one additional ballot are required to win union representation. If only 20 workers vote, 11 votes would tip the balance. One of the largest unions in the country, the IBEW represents more than 780,000 members, while the UA represents 326,000 workers in North America.

About Rob Jordan

Rob Jordan covers criminal justice issues for The Star.