The Enquirer
Union members distributed leaflets outside Cinergy Corp.'s corporate offices Monday protesting the utility's use of a non-union contractor for maintenance work at its W.J. Beckjord generating plant in New Richmond.
Joe Zimmer, executive secretary for the Greater Cincinnati Building and Construction Trades Council, said Cinergy is a party to a national agreement under which construction trades have agreed to work for 10 percent below union wages. But he said Cinergy recently hired two non-union firms, W.B. Zachary and Great Barriers Insulation, at Beckjord.
A Cinergy spokeswoman said the agreement doesn't bar the company from considering all bids. She said three of the last four contracts at Beckjord were awarded to firms using union labor.
Township explores electricity pool
Green Township has retained Eagle Energy LLC as its consultant on forming a buying pool to lower electricity costs for residents. The township will vote Nov. 2 on a proposal to form a buying pool, known as municipal aggregation, under Ohio's four-year-old electric deregulation law. Eagle was also consultant for Indian Hill, the first community in Southwest Ohio to create an electricity purchasing pool last year. Eagle and Green Township officials will hold public meetings on the proposal Oct. 19 at the administration building, 6303 Harrison Ave. Sessions will be held at 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
