WESTERN PA. Dominion Peoples workers go on strike

The union rejected a 15 percent pay increase because of other issues.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Hundreds of Dominion Peoples meter readers, maintenance employees and customer service representatives went on strike Monday, claiming the utility has refused to negotiate since the workers' contract expired last May.
The 421 members of the Utility Workers Union of America Local 69, Division 1, are employed throughout western Pennsylvania and have worked under the terms of a contract that expired May 1.
"We're very disappointed that the union leadership has called for a strike at the absolutely worst time of the year," Elmore Lockley, a spokesman for Dominion Peoples said, adding that the workers have "abandoned" the natural gas utility's 350,000 Pennsylvania customers.
The union local filed unfair labor charges with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming Dominion Peoples has bargained in bad faith by repeatedly refusing to alter its original contract proposal, said division President Robert J. Mitchell.
Utility officials had not received notification of the charges as of Monday morning and Lockley would not comment about the union's complaints until they had.
Officials met Friday
Lockley said officials met with union leaders last Friday and offered a contract proposal that would have raised workers' salaries -- which averaged $22 an hour -- by 15 percent over three years. But the utility's contract proposal also asked workers to pay a portion of their health care premiums, Lockley said.
Mitchell said negotiation sticking points included disagreements over health care, life insurance and other benefits.
Richmond, Va.-based Dominion is the parent company of the Pittsburgh-based natural gas company.
Supervisors will handle meter reading, customer service and emergency calls while the workers are on strike, Lockley said.