As Enstar labor dispute continues, allegations fly

[unhappycamper]

http://www.adn.com/article/20140814/enstar-labor-dispute-continues-allegations-fly



Employees picket outside Enstar's Spenard Road headquarters in Anchorage on Monday, Aug. 11. About 100 employees of Enstar Natural Gas Co. remained on strike as of Thursday, Aug. 14.

As Enstar labor dispute continues, allegations fly
Sean Doogan
August 14, 2014

As it entered its fourth day Thursday, a strike by about 100 Enstar employees seemed no closer to a resolution than it did when it began on Monday.

Enstar's operational employees, represented by Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 367, rejected the Southcentral Alaska natural gas utility's final contract offer last week. About 50 Enstar clerical employees represented by the union accepted Enstar's offer and have been encouraged to return to work, according to Local 367 negotiation spokesman Chuck Dunnagan.

The union has filed a half-dozen unfair labor practice complaints, according to Dunnagan, including claims of intimidation by Enstar managers and a dispute over where union members are allowed to stand as they picket outside Enstar's Spenard Road headquarters in Anchorage. The strike has also led to three Wednesday press releases from the union with claims that Enstar has shirked its responsibility to check Anchorage schools for potential gas leaks and mishandled the repair of a ruptured 4-inch gas pipe in Wasilla on Tuesday morning.

"The danger to the public was increased by (Local 367 operational employees) not being there, and the time of the fix was probably increased by them not being there," Dunnagan said.