Another 11 labor union employees have crossed the picket line and returned to work for Savannah River Site security contractor Centerra-SRS. That brings the total to 59 employees who either did not join the strike that began last month or who have since gone back to work, according to Centerra spokesman Rob Davis.
On Sept. 6, Davis said 48 employees represented by United Professional Pro-Force of Savannah River (UPPSR) were not striking at the Energy Department facility in South Carolina. Davis could not clarify how many had not joined the strike at any point or had subsequently resumed work, but he reported this week that 11 more were back on the job.
All told, UPPSR represents 337 of the 688 workers employed by Centerra. The union and company management spent most of 2017 negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, culminating in a “last, best and final offer” from Centerra on July 19. The union rejected the deal and called a strike about a month later.
Davis said Centerra has made no changes to its offer, and that the two sides have not met since the start of the strike. He said that despite the labor action, “our contingency force is fully trained and capable, and there has been no degradation of site security.” The contingency plan includes bringing in staff from other DOE sites to offset the loss of workers at SRS. Centerra is incurring lodging and other expenses for personnel from other locations, but Davis said such expenses are offset by not having to pay those on strike: “In total, there has been no added expense to the taxpayer as a result of this strike.”
Since his initial interview immediately following the strike, UPPSR President Mathias Miller has not responded to requests for comment about the strike; nor have other representatives from the union. In August, Miller said the union’s primary objections to Centerra’s offer was an increase in insurance premiums workers aren’t willing to pay, and that the deal would give the contractor the ability to change the contract at its discretion. Davis has countered that the proposal has checks and balances that would not give Centerra the power Miller asserted, and that insurance premiums fluctuate based on medical claims that are filed.
Centerra-SRS provides security support services for the 310-square-mile site near Aiken, S.C. Those services include access control, property protection, law enforcement, criminal investigations, and traffic control. The company’s 10-year, $1 billion contract expires on Oct. 7, 2019. The Energy Department has started the process for awarding a new security contract.
