NEW CASTLE Replacement workers enter strikebound Rundle plant

The company and striking workers will meet for negotiations on Nov. 13.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Replacement workers went into the Universal-Rundle plant without incident this morning.
About 90 striking workers stood in clusters along the road leading up to the plant as about 17 people were escorted in by Lawrence County sheriff deputies and Pennsylvania state police officers.
"It was peaceful. Nobody got out of line," said Kathy Kirkwood, treasurer of Local 365 of the Glass Molders, Pottery, Plastics & amp; Allied Workers Intentional, the union representing striking workers. Kirkwood added that two or three cars driven by replacement workers turned around and did not enter the plant when the drivers saw the striking workers.
Other plants
Workers in three plants went on strike at midnight Oct. 15 over a wages and benefit dispute. The strikers at the Georgia plant went back to work about two weeks ago without a contract, but those in Iowa and New Castle continue to strike.
Replacement workers were brought into the Iowa plant on Friday, company spokesman Steve Golimowski said last week.
Golimowski could not be reached this morning to comment on the replacement workers here.
The scene
Kirkwood said the replacement workers drove their own vehicles into the plant at about 6:30 a.m. Police and sheriff escorts were dispersed about every four or five cars, she said.
She added that striking workers abided by a court order issued Friday by Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Dominick Motto that no more than four pickets and no more than 10 striking workers be within 150 feet of the plant.
"The cops said as long as we didn't throw anything or get in the way of traffic we could yell whatever we wanted except obscenities. Just being there was intimidating enough," she said.
The sheriff's department reported they had six cars and state police sent five this morning, a spokesman said. It's not certain how many cars carried replacements.
Negotiations
The company and workers are expected to meet Nov. 13 for the next negotiation session. No talks have been held since workers rejected the initial contract on Oct. 12.
Workers contend that they would receive a 3 cent-an-hour raise after increases in benefits and changes to a merit bonus system would go into place under the proposed contract.
The company has said it offered the best deal available giving $200 bonuses in the first and third years of the contract and 15-cent-per-hour raises in the second and fourth years. No pay increases were planned for the last two years of the six-year deal.
Kirkwood said the replacement workers will not affect the union's position.
"I know we are still going to stand as a union and as one. They are trying to break our union, but they won't break it. We are standing as one," she said.