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Workers at PPG's Natrium. plant in New Martinsville walked off the job Sept. 9 after rejecting the company's proposal for a two-tiered wage and benefit system.
The plant's 470 union members twice had extended their contract in hopes of reaching a new agreement, but rejected the company's latest offer in a secret ballot conducted Sept. 9, said Mel Montes, president, of International Chemical Workers/United Food and Commercial Workers Local 45 in New Martinsville.
Montes said the company had proposed reducing the wages, benefits and pensions of new hires, something he said union members found unacceptable.
"You'd have new people working side-by-side with (veteran workers) who were doing the same work and were members of the same union, but making a lot different wages and getting...