We want to thank everyone who attended our local union meetings this past Tuesday, where our local committee was joined by leaders from the International union, including Vice President Fred Redmond.

One of the first issues we addressed was the official Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice that Viatris sent to the Union earlier this week. Though we were informed of Viatris’ intention to close our facility in December, this is an official notice, required federal law so that workers can prepare for plant closings and mass layoffs. Click here to learn more about your rights under the WARN Act.

We also discussed how the effects bargaining process works and what the committee has been fighting for these past months, from severance and extended insurance coverage to potential successorship.

It is not our intent to go back and forth across the table with Viatris until the last minute. We know you need security and time to plan your next steps, so our goal is to complete this bargaining process by the end of June.

Let’s be honest—there’s nothing the company can give you that will make up for its decision to close our facility. But we will not stop until we reach an agreement that we believe reflects your years of dedication and expertise.

We also are pursuing a buyer vigorously, though it is not an easy route with a guaranteed outcome. Either way, we are going to keep fighting until we know we’ve tried everything possible to keep our facility operating.

Stepping up the pressure

Regular contract bargaining gives us leverage because we can withhold our labor, but striking during effects bargaining isn’t a legal option. Our only leverage now is public pressure. This is why we have been in contact with the media and why we have reached out to West Virginia legislators.

To step up this outreach and increase pressure, we will be dropping off a petition directed at Gov. Jim Justice on Tuesday, June 8, demanding action to save our facility. We plan to meet at the Morgantown Mall with a bus departing for the governor’s mansion in Charleston at 8:00 A.M. Please watch for updates as we have more information.

Also, if you have any questions about filing for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), please feel free to reach out to Carla Hartley at [email protected].

We will continue to keep you posted on any updates or actions. Please stay in touch by texting USW8957 to 77820.

Your USW Local 8-957 Bargaining Committee
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