UMWA Asking Roundhill Group To Come To The Table For Negotiations

The United Mine Workers of America is calling on the Roundhill Group to come to the table to negotiate new contracts for workers who were terminated from the Remington Plant in Ilion.

In recent news reports Richmond Italia of the Roundhill Group indicated he was uncertain about the future opening of the manufacturing plant, prompting a response from UMWA union leadership.

President of The United Mine Workers of America International Cecil Roberts released a statement Tuesday indicating he was confused by recent comments made by Italia. Roberts says,

We have reached a tentative agreement with the Remington Outdoor Company (old Remington), on issues where we could agree, regarding the outstanding employee legacies of that company. What we have not agreed upon, the bankruptcy court will decide. Roundhill knows this, and knows that the UMWA has not and does not consider Roundhill liable for those legacy issues.

The Roundhill Group has made it clear that they do not intend to honor agreements made between management and employees of the "Old Remington" company. The union argues they understand that and wonder why the new group doesn't want to sit down and negotiate new agreements. Roberts says, "As far as we are concerned there are no bankruptcy-related issues that should justify Roundhill’s repeated threats to keep the Ilion plant closed. We have told them that, and are willing to tell them again today, tomorrow or any other day that Roundhill’s negotiators decide to reengage at the bargaining table."

UMWA are only asking that the Roundhill Group hire back UMWA union workers and recognize United Mine Workers of America as their collective bargaining representative. They aren't even asking the new ownership group to honor old pensions or contract terms. The UMWA leadership remains open to sit down and talk with the new owners of the Remington Plant and ask them to be open to sit down as well.