Capital Region News

Union Workers Strike At Upstate NY Chemical Plant

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published November 2, 2016 at 3:34 PM EDT

Hundreds of union workers at an upstate New York chemical plant have gone on strike after efforts to reach a new contract with the company failed.

Some 700 unionized employees at Momentive Performance Materials Inc. walked off the job Wednesday at the company's plant in the southern Saratoga County town of Waterford.

The strike comes after months of contract talks failed to reach an agreement with the workers who produce silicones and other materials used in a variety of industries. The union rejected a company offer that called for pay raises and a signing bonus, but also reduced health care and retiree benefits.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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