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| New River Valley Volvo Plant Strike Enters Fifth Week |
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| Written by David Grimes | |
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As the UAW strike at the New River Valley Volvo plant in Dublin enters its fifth week, company and union members appear to be getting closer to returning to the bargaining table, as the majority of strikers are ready to return to work.
“We have not set a date yet with Volvo, but we are getting closer,” said UAW Local 2069 President Lester Hancock Thursday afternoon.
Finding a place to the hold the meeting appears to be the problem now.
“I have been on the phone all morning trying to find a place for the meeting in this area,” said Hancock. “We may have to go back to Charlotte.”
Earlier this week, Volvo North American said that UAW International had contacted them about returning to negotiations.
“Once we can find a place for the meeting, we can come up with some firm dates to start talking,” added Hancock.
On Wednesday, in a letter from Per Carlsson, President of Volvo North American, the company announced that they have been doing production on a limited basis at the NRV plant.
Carlsson also said in the letter that they have an ambitious goal of 24 units per day.
Prior to the strike, the NRV plant was producing 145 trucks per day with 2600 union members, according to Hancock.
“I’m ready to return to work,” said one striker on the line Thursday afternoon. “It’s starting to affect my wallet.”
As in the past weeks, striking union members continued to greet Volvo workers as they arrive and leave work. Unlike, last week, there was a noticeable increase of more strikers at the plant entrances in the morning and afternoon when workers arrive and leave. In fact, on Thursday, several union members were dropped off at the entrances by a van and then picked back up after the workers had departed the plant.
There was also an increase in police presence during these times. Just last week, there were maybe about three law enforcement officers at the main plant entrance. On Thursday, there were around 10 members of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police on hand.
Sgt. Honacker, of the Virginia State Police told EverythingNRV Thursday afternoon, that there has been no reported problems at the entrances. “We rather be pro-active and prevent things then being re-active.”
The last strike to take place at the NRV plant was in 1991 and it lasted four weeks.
Click here to see additional photos from the strike at the New River Valley Volvo plant.
Photos by David Grimes
Comments (2)
  written by reighnmaker, February 29, 2008
go back to work!!!! you have some of the best payin jobs in the nrv. go back or let some of the more unfortunate people go there for less money. you stand on the picket line while youre on uaw president lester hancock lies to you. and you follow people home and do damages to there property?? well follow me home..... you say unfair labor practices well what is an issue????? and health and saftey issues what is the issue there??? the nuts and bolts have been gotten rid of and by the way osha diddnt even have a problem with it. its no difference than the sighn on you local gas station that says this may cause cancer. well i dont see anyone at the gas pumps picketing???
go back to work or just stay home so the rest of us can. report abuse
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Sir James Matthew Barrie was a Scottish novelist and dramatist best known for creating the character Peter Pan, whom he based on his friends, the Llewelyn Davies boys. Educated at Dumfries Academy and Edinburgh University, he became a journalist and, later, a celebrated novelist who counted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Thomas Hardy amongst his friends and acquaintances. Why was Barrie disappointed with the statue of Peter Pan erected in Kensington Gardens, London?
butts off i'm kicked back in my recliner wachin tv and getting paid for it. Your strike has my plant shut down for a week to start maybe more. Can I get 2 weeks I needed a paid vacation. Its funny how the only people that support your cause and the people that are a part of your social club because that is all unions are today. And it takes some pretty uninformed people to strike when the whole economy is going down as when you are out of a job and look for your next there wont be any and those of us who actually have enough sense to pick our battles according to need and not greed will still be doing the jobs that you think you are only qualified to do.