THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995            TAG: 9502010491
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: D2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY CHRISTOPHER DINSMORE, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   42 lines

SHIPYARD UNION HOLDS ELECTION - AGAIN

Blue-collar workers at Newport News Shipbuilding went to the polls Tuesday in a union election they already voted in once before.

Local 8888 of the United Steelworkers of America scheduled a rerun election of some officers because of federal labor law violations in the first election last April. The new election tosses the offices of president, vice president, recording secretary and one of two guards up for grabs as the union begins the final week of labor negotiations with the giant Peninsula shipyard.

The union's contract expires Sunday and the shipyard has indicated that it is seeking wage and benefit concessions to help it become more competitive.

``The deadline brings us closer and closer to an agreement,'' said Judy Boyd, the union's sub-district director. ``We still have some pretty heavy things to discuss.''

She declined to discuss the talks further except to say the election shouldn't affect the negotiations. The union's negotiating committee was elected in a separate vote in September.

The union represents about 12,000 hourly workers at the shipyard.

Local President Tom Crudup, who won the April election, faces a serious challenge from Raymond Coppedge, the incumbent who lost by 26 votes.

In the four-way race, Crudup got 795 votes and Coppedge received 769 votes. The other candidates Bob Padgett and Woodrow Wilson got 310 and 294 votes respectively.

Padgett and Wilson decided not to run this time and endorsed Coppedge.

The rerun election stems from Coppedge's challenge of Crudup's tactics in the April election. Coppedge complained first to the union and then to the U.S Department of Labor. Crudup admitted some irregularities and agreed to the election rerun.

The vote is being overseen by the Labor Department. The polls were open at the union hall from 5 a.m. Tuesday until 1 a.m today. by CNB