Fairbanks Strike Over: Contract Ratified

ST. JOHNSBURY — A weeklong strike at Fairbanks Scales by the United Electrical 234 ended Tuesday when workers voted to ratify a new three-year contract.

Chad McGinnis, International Representative with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, said the successful contract language was achieved with the company on Monday.

“Yesterday (Monday), the company did agree to return to negotiations, and we met for several hours. A final offer did in fact meet most of the union’s key goals and today, the union agreed to ratify that as a new contract and we are returning to work tomorrow,” said McGinnis.

He said the contract, which will run from midnight, Oct. 30, when the old contract ran out, includes wage increases and more favorable contribution amounts for insurance coverage.

Fairbanks Scales, founded in St. Johnsbury, has been home to the U.E. Local 234 for about 80 years, according to McGinnis.

“Workers received significant wage increases,” said McGinnis. “The employer acceded to most of the union’s demands; we feel like we’ve accomplished a fair three-year contract.”

Members of the union stood vigil 24 hours a day starting Wednesday, a day after the contract expired and negotiations broke down. They disassembled their picket line on Route 2 in front of the company at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

The striking workers congregated at both entrances to the company through heavy rain, cold temperatures, and an alleged incident in which a worker accused the company’s human resources manager of hitting her with her vehicle, trying to get into the parking lot on Friday morning.

Steel drums contained warming fires and many businesses and individuals donated food, from coffee to pizza and more. Several locals dropped off wood for the fire, and others donated umbrellas on the rainy days workers stood outside of the company.

Many motorists beeped their horns in support and saw waves and raised fists raised by the workers on the picket line.

“We had huge community support,” said McGinnis.

He said, “U.E. 234 has been in a battle to defend good union jobs in the NEK for almost the past 80 years. We’ve been aggressively fighting to improve workers’ conditions for that long, and see this contract as being part of that tradition of seeking to build a good economy in the northeast region, and to create justice not only for our workers and our union, but for all working people.”

A total of 67 workers at the St. Johnsbury Fairbanks plant are represented by U.E. Local 234.

The local union members constitute a little over half of Fairbanks’ St. Johnsbury workforce and are the only unionized workforce within Fairbanks’ national organization.

Ingrid Adel, spokeswoman for Fairbanks, issued a brief statement on the company’s behalf Tuesday, “We are pleased that we have reached an agreement with our Union employees and look forward to returning to business as usual as soon as possible.”