Marilyn Elie, a long time union supporter and a member of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition expressed sympathy for workers at Indian Point.  “It is their careful work that stands between us and a nuclear accident” she said.

She added that the Independent System Operator, regulators of our grid, recently released a report showing little or no impact on our electricty supply with the closing of Indian Point.  A replacement plan for Indian Point was put in place by Governor Cuomo in 2012 and has resulted in over 5,000 MW being add to our grid.

Indian Point is going out of business because buyers of wholesale electricity have found cheaper prices elsewhere and the reactors could not compete in our deregulated market.

Members of Local 1-2, NY, Utility Workers of America, AFL-CIO who work at Indian Point are set to strike at midnight January 17 if they do not receive a contract with Entergy, the Louisiana-based company that owns the facility.

James T. Slevin, President of Local 1-2, said, “It’s ironic that on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, remembering a man who was a warrior for working men and women, that nearly half a century later we are still struggling with a rich Southern company to get a fair shake for our labor. This is another sign that times have not really changed.”

Local 1-2 Members operate the facility and are seeking a new Collective Bargaining Agreement through 2022, which is the year after Indian Point is scheduled to close and would keep the experienced nuclear plant workers on hand when the shutdown process begins.

In advance of the authorized strike deadline, Members of Local 1-2 will hold a practice strike picket at Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. outside Indian Point at Broadway and Bleakley in Buchanan, NY.

Indian Point, which generates 25% of the energy for New York City and Westchester County, which is scheduled to be closed in 2021 after New York State announced abruptly in December 2016 that Entergy had agreed to close Indian Point and accept more than $1 billion to quit New York State.

Local 1-2 President James T. Slevin said, “We have been in talks all weekend and anticipate going around the clock for the next two days. So far progress is glacial. We hope a show of solidarity will convince Entergy to do the right thing before it blows a hole in the local economy.

“Not to mention that there is no plan in place to replace the clean energy generated for New Yorkers by Indian Point. We know that our expertise and work will be needed well beyond 2021.”

Slevin hopes to work out a new agreement with Entergy to avoid a labor action