Entergy Willing to Negotiate as Lockout Continues

As the lockout continues into day three, Entergy says Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is being safely operated by "qualified, experienced employees supplemented by temporary personnel from across Entergy's nuclear fleet" but, the company is willing to resume talks with Union leadership.

"Entergy continues to be ready to resume discussions with Union leadership under the guidance of the mediator," according to Carol Wightman, a spokesman for Entergy. "The company believes the federal mediation process is the success path to a contract that will enable employees to come back to work, which has been the goal throughout this process."

Wightman asserts that 2/3 of the regular workforce at Pilgrim remains on the job, and while the remaining 1/3 positions are being filled with "only qualified and experienced workers."

"The plant continues to be safely operated by qualified, experienced employees supplemented by temporary personnel from across Entergy's nuclear fleet. The workers are qualified for and experienced in the tasks they are performing at Pilgrim, many with more than 20 years of nuclear experience here or at other Entergy nuclear plants," Wightman writes in a press release. "The contract workers that have been temporarily brought in also meet strict qualification requirements and have many years of experience working at nuclear power plants around the country, including Pilgrim Station and other Entergy nuclear plants."

The NRC has placed overseers at the plant since the lockout began.

"There are stringent federal requirements that must be met to perform any task at a nuclear power plant, including having a training and qualification program that meets NRC regulations. Those training and qualification programs are certified by the industry and monitored and overseen by the NRC," Wightman stated.