The union representing workers at TV glass maker Techneglas won’t...
The union representing workers at TV glass maker Techneglas won’t open the current contract for a wage freeze or concessions the company had sought to keep its plant open in Pittston, Pa. In a Dec. 7 letter posted on…
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an employee Web site, union Pres. Stephen Duda said an audit of Techneglas’ books showed no need to open the contract expiring June 2005. Union officials had met with Techneglas management in Aug. as the company sought financial relief, including higher prescription co-payments. Workers are guaranteed a 4.5% raise in 2004 under the contract, Robbins said. The hourly wage is $14.96-$20.26, he said. Techneglas had requested concessions from members of Local 243 of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers union, saying it was struggling to compete with low-cost glass producers in the Far East. One-time rival Corning Asahi Video closed its TV glass plant in State College, Pa., in Sept. and sold its equipment to Chinese manufacturer Henan Anyang CPT Glass Bulb Group. Techneglas’ work force, which exceeded 1,800 in 1999, has been reduced to around 750 unionized and 150 nonunion workers, Local 243 Business Agent Randy Robbins told the (Wilkes-Barre) Times-Leader. “The stance taken by Local 243 was that the Techneglas financial records do not reflect a need to open the current labor agreement at this time,” Duda said in his letter. Joseph Schaeufele, vp-mfg. & engineering at Techneglas, wasn’t available for comment. Besides the wage freeze, the company proposed eliminating bonuses, pay for lunches and work breaks 30 min. or longer, and holiday pay for days not worked, Duda wrote. The company proposed reducing double time to time and a half for overtime, the letter said. Meanwhile, Henan Anyang hired a company to start breaking down the equipment at the Corning plant this month and will have it out of the facility in 6-9 months, a Corning spokesman told the (State College) Centre Daily Times. The plant and its 100 acres of land haven’t been put up for sale because the equipment won’t be removed for several months, the spokesman said. The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County hired commercial site selection consultant Moran, Stahl & Boyer, Duluth, Ga., for $56,000 to study options for the plant. The consultant is expected to report in 6-8 weeks, Chamber Pres. John Coleman told the Centre Daily Times.