The head of a local branch of the United Steelworkers (USW) at the Energy Department’s Portsmouth Site cleanup project in Ohio claims contractor Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth is unfairly pushing workers to accept a shutdown during the week of July 4.
For its part, Fluor-BWXT said implementation of a holiday week shutdown complies with the company’s collective bargaining agreements and was formally communicated to union members in October 2017. USW Local 1-689 President John Knauff said by telephone this week the union never agreed to a weeklong shutdown that would force workers to burn vacation time or go unpaid for certain days.
Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth’s schedule for most workers covers a 40-hour week consisting of four 10-hour work days. Employees receive two scheduled paid days off for the holiday, leaving only two scheduled workdays for the week. That “creates an inefficient working scenario,” according to a statement issued last week by FBP Public Outreach Manager Jack Williams.
“Many workers opt to take the entire week off creating scheduling, safety, and human resource challenges,” according to the FBP statement. “In the past FBP implemented a voluntary shutdown for the July 4th week. Last year the decision was made, and policies updated, to adopt a holiday week project shutdown.” The shutdown includes all “non-essential” employees, including bargaining unit members, the company added.
What FBP is seeking is a temporary layoff, albeit a brief one, Knauff countered.
“Please report any and all acts by the Company of persuasion, intimidation, orders or any other that are or may be causing you to take vacation when you don’t choose to,” Knauff said in a May 21 letter to members of the local union. Treating the July 4 shutdown as a reduction in force could trigger certain financial obligations, such as severance pay by the company, he said.