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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 5, 1995                   TAG: 9504060029
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

STRIKERS RETURN AT GE

Electrical workers at General Electric Co.'s Drive Systems plant in Salem on Tuesday ended a three-day strike designed to punish the company for promoting one employee over three others with more seniority.

The company said the promotion will stand. Local 161 of the International Union of Electronic Workers said it considers the matter closed.

During the strike, a third to half of the regular hourly work force stayed home, said GE spokesman Mike Allee. He declined to specify what impact the strike had on production at the plant, which produces computerized industrial controls. But, he said, ``any work stoppage certainly threatens our ability to meet customer expectations.''

Allee said the plant stayed in operation without outside help. GE has maintained it was not required to honor seniority in promoting the worker.

The three employees passed over appealed the decision through a grievance procedure before one asked the union to authorize a strike.

The strike ran from last Wednesday night through Monday at the plant, which does not operate on weekends. Workers in the department of the employee who called for the strike walked out, as did some employees from other departments.

The plant, which operates around the clock, employs about 900 hourly workers and more than 1,000 salaried employees, the union said.

by CNB