Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 8, 1991 TAG: 9103080437
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
If the talks stalled, about 1,000 union members could be sent to the picket line.
The local union's three-year contract with the Pulaski County factory ends at midnight tonight.
"Negotiations are continuing on a daily basis," said Dan Ratcliff, bargaining agent for the UAW Local 2069.
"We're going to have a long night tonight," local president Joe Parah predicted.
He said he did not expect a settlement Thursday night.
Neither union representative would say what issues were being discussed behind closed doors at the Red Lion Inn, where the officials have been meeting for about five weeks.
Company officials could not be reached for comment.
On Sunday, 97 percent of the union's members voted to authorize a strike if the talks fail to yield a tentative contract, Ratcliff said. "It shows strong support for the bargaining unit."
Counting current employees and members who have been laid off, the union represents more than 1,000 workers, he said.
The company has laid off about 390 people at the Dublin plant since October, citing a steady decline in heavy-truck sales.
Volvo GM has cut its production level over the last six months from 60 trucks a day to 36.
The most recent layoffs, announced in December, brought criticism from the union that hourly workers were having to shoulder the burden of hard economic times.
Roughly 780 wage-earners still are employed at the plant.
Negotiating for the union were Gary Pauley, Dave Smith and Andy Anderson, UAW International representatives from Detroit and Washington, D.C. Corporation executives from Greensboro, N.C., were on hand to negotiate for the company.
The current contract was negotiated in 1987. A wage increase of 41 cents per hour was granted in 1987, then a lump-sum increase of 35 cents was paid a year later.
In 1989 a 36-cent lump-sum payment was made and in 1990 a 15-cent payment was made.
The Associated Press contributed information for this story.
by CNB