Duke Energy, unions contract talks raise safety concerns at nuke plant By Ivan Penn Duke Energys collective bargaining contract with 1,900 electrical workers in Florida expired this week, prompting a federal review of the shuttered Crystal River nuclear plant in case of a strike. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced late Tuesday that it will perform an inspection of Dukes strike contingency plans for Crystal River. Though Dukes collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 433 expired at midnight Monday, the contract contains a provision for a 60-day good-faith negotiation period. But union representatives have voiced concern that the utility is willing to see the workers walk off the job to get the new contract it wants. Were going to have a train wreck at the end of negotiations if we dont get the language we want, the union on its website quoted Duke as saying. We are willing to force the employees to strike, in order to get what we want. Federal regulators said they intend to ensure the safety of the nuclear plant, if negotiations continue to erode. The NRC will closely monitor operations if a strike occurs to ensure plant safety and adherence to federal regulations, Neil Sheehan, a NRC spokeswoman, said in a prepared statement. If a strike takes place, on-site observations and inspections will be performed by the NRC for at least the first week. Additional on-site reviews will be conducted as needed. Federal regulators are particularly concerned about a strike because IBEW represents operations, maintenance, chemistry, radiation protection and warehouse personnel at the Crystal River nuclear plant. Although Duke announced the permanent closure of the nuclear plant in February, the utility still stores unused and spent fuel rods on the site. In addition, other radioactive material will continue to be a hazard until Duke fully decommissions the site, which will take decades. Duke and the union have been in the contract dispute since negotiations began Oct. 15. Union representatives say Duke wants to cut the health and life insurance benefits of union retirees as the utility did with nonunion retirees earlier this fall. In addition, IBEW, which represents about 1,900 of the 4,000 Duke employees in the state, says the utility wants to eliminate spouse benefits of current workers, restrict holiday benefits and reduce sick pay for employees. Most troubling to the union is language proposed by Duke that would essentially end any effectiveness the union might have for its Duke workers in the state. The proposed language states: Duke Energy retains the right to amend, modify or terminate its benefits plans in any respect and at any time, and neither its benefits, nor your plan participation will be considered a contract for future employment, according the unions website. Duke, which has 1.7 million customers in Florida, has said it would not confirm the veracity of the statements because the negotiations are confidential.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 20:50:42 +0000
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