Lehigh Valley Live is reporting that dozens of Hercules Cement Co. employees lined the road into the plant Monday to strike against a job transfer policy that some employees worry could lead to abuse by supervisors.

The strike is not driven by wages or benefits but rather language in a proposed contract that would give the company the power to move workers into different roles at the plant, Teamster Local 773 Chief Steward Tim Groller said.

Should the language be approved, he said, the company could shift workers around at any time for any amount of time.

“You’ve got to be happy coming into work,” Groller said.

Groller said some of the 82 union employees are worried about abuse from supervisors who might not like another employee.

Plant Manager Richard Zimmel said the transfer clause is used to fill employee vacancies.

“It usually results in an increase of wages for that person,” Zimmel said. “It never results in a decrease in wages.”

The company was running the plant’s mills Monday morning and was continuing to run shipping operations, Groller and other employees reported.

Zimmel said the company is using its 34 salaried employees to restart some of the plant’s operations.

“We opened up for business today at 3 a.m. as we usually do,” Zimmel said. “We have been concentrating on getting our salaried personnel accustomed to loading our customer’s trucks with cement.”

Some of the truck drivers making pickups turned away when they saw the picket line, Groller said.

“We didn’t ask them to, they just did,” Groller said.

Groller said the union is prepared to strike for the long haul. He said the union provides strike benefits, but he would not say how much. He said there was no contact with the company Monday.

Zimmel said the company is concentrating primarily on resuming operations.

“We’ve been so busy trying to get the plant back up this all just hit us on Saturday,” Zimmel said. “We haven’t come up with a timetable yet.”

Stockertown police reported no problems. However, on Sunday afternoon, Pennsylvania State Police investigated an attempted criminal mischief in which nails were scattered at Hercules Drive and Commerce Way.

“We found the nails, we called it in to the state police,” Zimmel said. “We did find more nails and screws today. It was a gallon-sized plastic bag full.

“They were right in the roadway where our customers’ trucks travel.”

Police did not say if it was related to the strike and did not return a phone message seeking comment. Zimmel would not say whether he thought it was strike-related.

Groller said he spoke briefly with police.

“I have no idea how they got there,” Groller said.

Source: Reporter Michael Buck can be reached at 610-258-7171 or mbuck@express-times.com.