
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 28, 1994                   TAG: 9405310180
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER and TODD JACKSON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CORNING UNION REJECTS CONTRACT

The union at Corning Inc.'s glass works plant in Christiansburg turned down management's latest offer for a new contract Thursday. Although there is a contract deadline of July 31, the company said there was no crisis yet.

"We are in the process of negotiations," said John Yearick, Corning's personnel director. He declined to get into the specifics of management's proposal, saying the union and the company had agreed not to negotiate in the press.

"This isn't exactly a crisis situation," Yearick said. "We're so early in the process."

The company will continue to work with the union to find a solution, he said.

Reached Friday night, union President Mark Stevers said the first version of the new contract was brought before the rank and file in early May and was turned down. After another round of negotiations, which yielded minor changes, another vote was taken Thursday, with the same result.

"From this point, it's basically a waiting game," he said. "But I hope to bring another vote to the people at some point [before July 31]."

Stevers said there is no single stumbling block with the proposed agreement, but a "mixed bag of things" brought to him by union members.

Corning employs about 200 workers, and the average salary is about $30,000 a year. The plant makes ceramic parts used in catalytic converters.

by CNB