Union Strikes At Bruce Plant

Beverly, WV, Apr. 30--About 700 teamsters members set up a picket line Sunday night at the Bruce Hardwood Flooring plant in Beverly after employees rejected the company’s contract offer, according to the Charleston Gazette. The newspaper said about 85% of the union members voted to reject the offer, which followed negotiations that date back to March 6, according to Ken Hall, president of Teamsters Local 175. The union represents most of the estimated 900 employees of the plant. Said Hall, “I am disappointed that we were unable to reach an agreement, but quite frankly the corporate folks are just being unrealistic by expecting employees to accept substandard wages coupled with reductions in medical benefits. “Particularly disturbing is the fact that the company just recently increased benefits including improved vacation and medical benefits for non-union employees working side-by-side with our members.” Dorothy Brown Smith, director of corporate communication for Armstrong, said the company’s offer was competitive with improvements in wages, pensions, health and welfare benefits and vacation. She said the company hopes to continue to negotiate to resolve all outstanding bargaining issues as soon as possible. Smith said the company has increased its inventory of critical items produced at the plant as part of a contingency plan and it is doing everything possible to avoid disruption to its customers. Workers at the plant approved teamsters representation in August 1999. The plant makes products for Home Depot and Lowe’s.