Pilgrim, union agree on contract [Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.]

July 08--PLYMOUTH -- Union workers from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth voted today to ratify a new, four-year contract, after months of heated negotiations and most recently, a lockout.

The agreement comes after union leaders from Utility Workers Union of America Local 369 and the plant's owner, Entergy, reached a tentative agreement late Friday night. That agreement was passed this afternoon by the union members.

"We are pleased that our workers have voted to accept Entergy's latest contract offer," UWUA president Dan Hurley said in a statement. "These have been lengthy and difficult negotiations for our workers, who have been locked out of their jobs for over a month and without medical coverage since the beginning of July."

Specifics of the deal are not being disclosed, a statement from Entergy said.

"The new contract, which came to fruition as a result of a lot of hard work on both sides, reflects our commitment to our employees, is acceptable to our union workers and preserves union interests," Pilgrim Site Vice President, Robert Smith said in a statement. "We look forward to our employees returning to work, which has been our goal throughout this process."

Employees at the 40-year-old plant were locked out on June 6 and the company brought in replacement workers and management to help run the plant during the lockout and union members picketed the plant's entrance.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently approved Entergy's license to operate the plant for an additional 20 years. The NRC's approval continues to be challenged by anti-nuclear activists and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, who on Monday filed a second appeal of the agency's approval of the license, calling it arbitrary and an abuse of discretion.

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