LANCASTER, Pa.—As the day shift at the Armstrong Flooring factory and distribution center here ended at 4 p.m. July 2, the company locked out all 180 members of United Steelworkers Local 285. The workers’ last contract expired in October 2017, and Local 285 members have rejected three tentative agreements since then. Armstrong spokesman Steve Trapnell told Lancaster Online that its intention was “reaching a successor contract.” “We were surprised,” Local 285 President Lee Getz said. “But the company knows we’re willing to go back into work.” On July 3, members began picketing the plant, carrying signs saying, “LOCKED OUT/UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES.” Trapnell told WPMT-TV that Armstrong would keep the plant and distribution center open and that its contract proposal included “competitive” wages and benefits for employees while giving the company “flexibility.” Read more
