Strike averted at N.Y. nuclear power plant

Yahoo! News. By Jim Fitzgerald, Associated Press Writer.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. 18 - Negotiators averted a strike early Sunday at a nuclear power plant just north of New York City, reaching tentative agreement on a four-year contract for control room operators and other key workers.

The deal came after the two sides agreed to negotiate beyond the midnight strike deadline set by Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America.

"This was a very, very difficult negotiation, but we ended up with across-the-board improvements in wages and benefits, and it's fair to say we're very happy," said Manny Hellen, president of Local 1-2.

Hellen confirmed the agreement Sunday, hours after plant owner Entergy Nuclear Northeast announced the deal in a press release.

Entergy said the contract covers not just the 276 union members at Indian Point 3, but also 282 workers at the Indian Point 2 power plant. The plants had had separate owners and separate contracts before Entergy bought them in 2000 and 2001.

The agreement was a relief to some who worried about the safety of the nuclear plant if a strike occurred. The reactors are in Buchanan, N.Y., on the Hudson River, 35 miles north of midtown Manhattan. The operation and security of the plants have been concerns in the region since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Entergy had pledged to keep the reactor running during a walkout, with managers and supervisors prepared to take over according to a contingency plan approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano had called for the plant to be closed during a strike.

Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Under the previous contracts, experienced workers at Indian Point earned about $60,000 a year plus overtime and benefits, the union said.

Union spokesman Steve Mangione said the new contract would be submitted to the union's executive board for approval on Tuesday. Union members will vote on ratification within a month.

IMPRIMIR