Tag: Ravenswood

October 31, 1990: Ravenswood Aluminum Workers Locked Out

On October 31, 1990, union workers at Ravenswood Aluminum arrived as usual for their midnight shift.

Only this time, they were turned away from the gates. Thus began one of the most bitter labor disputes of the late 20th century.

From the time Kaiser Aluminum opened the Ravenswood plant in 1954 until it sold its operations in 1988, there had never been a strike. But, workers felt that the new owners’ cost-cutting measures were jeopardizing their safety. In fact, four workers had been killed on the job just the summer before the conflict began.

The plant’s owners balked at the workers’ contract demands, locked them out of the plant, and hired replacement workers. As employees took to the picket lines, the conflict quickly grew ugly. Shootings, destruction of property, and other acts of violence tore the town of Ravenswood apart over the next 20 months.

The end came only when Ravenswood Aluminum officials feared a negative ruling from the federal National Labor Relations Board. They finally returned to the bargaining table in June 1992 and agreed to a settlement that allowed the union workers to return to work.

July 19, 1863: Morgan's Raiding Ends at Buffington Island

On July 19, 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s daring raid across Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio came to an end on Buffington Island, located in the Ohio River near Ravenswood in Jackson County.

Morgan’s raid was the only time a large Southern force entered Indiana or Ohio during the Civil War. His 2,400 raiders led local militias and growing numbers of Union troops on a wild chase across three states.

During his retreat, Morgan chose an Ohio River crossing known as Buffington’s Ford. On July 19—overtaken by federal troops, including the 13th West Virginia Infantry, local militia, and three U.S. Navy gunboats—Morgan turned and fought his pursuers on the Ohio mainland adjacent to the island. The battle scattered Morgan’s forces and spilled over onto Buffington Island when a number of his men crossed above the island to swim to the Jackson County shore. Many drowned, but some, with the aid of Confederate supporters in West Virginia, made it back to Southern lines.

The Battle of Buffington Island was the only significant naval action to occur in West Virginia waters during the Civil War.

October 31, 1990: Ravenswood Aluminum Workers Locked Out

On October 31, 1990, union workers at Ravenswood Aluminum arrived as usual for their midnight shift.

Only this time, they were turned away from the gates. Thus began one of the most bitter labor disputes of the late 20th century.

From the time Kaiser Aluminum opened the Ravenswood plant in 1954 until it sold its operations in 1988, there had never been a strike. But, workers felt that the new owners’ cost-cutting measures were jeopardizing their safety. In fact, four workers had been killed on the job just the summer before the conflict began.

The plant’s owners balked at the workers’ contract demands, locked them out of the plant, and hired replacement workers. As employees took to the picket lines, the conflict quickly grew ugly. Shootings, destruction of property, and other acts of violence tore the town of Ravenswood apart over the next 20 months.

The end came only when Ravenswood Aluminum officials feared a negative ruling from the federal National Labor Relations Board. They finally returned to the bargaining table in June 1992 and agreed to a settlement that allowed the union workers to return to work.

Century Aluminum, Retirees Reach $23M Settlement

A group of retired workers from Century Aluminum says the company has agreed to pay $23 million to help cover their health care.

Benefits were taken away shortly after the plant in Ravenswood closed in 2009.

WSAZ-TV reports the money, if approved by the court, will provide health benefits to more than 700 retirees and their families. The group Century Aluminum Retirees announced the settlement Tuesday, six years to the day since the group’s first meeting.

A member of the group, Karen Gorrell, said the settlement was reached in August, but court papers weren’t filed until last week.

Efforts to obtain a special electricity rate for the plant failed almost two years ago, and the company said the plant would not be restarted.

Company, Ex-Employee File Lawsuits Against Each Other

An aluminum company in Jackson County and a former employee are suing each other in state and federal courts.

The West Virginia Gazette-Mail reports lawyers for Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood LLC allege fraud and deceit against Kenneth Rogers. Rogers, on the other hand, says he was discriminated against and forced to work in a racially hostile work environment.

The company says Rogers lied about a lien to persuade the company to buy a house he was trying to sell after he was hired in 2014. The company says it paid him $190,000 before it discovered a lien against Rogers.

Rogers also filed a lawsuit a month later, saying he was subject to racial and sexual jokes and was fired after he stood up to workers in the company.

Ravenswood Century Aluminum Plant Permanently Shut Down

Century Aluminum has announced that it will permanently close its Ravenswood plant, effective immediately.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin issued a statement after the company’s Monday announcement, urging Century to reconsider its decision and continue to work with officials to find a different solution.

The plant had struggled for years, with 650 employees out of work since the plant was idled in February 2009.

The company says it is shuttering the plant because it had not been able to obtain a competitive power supply contract. It also says economic conditions have made it too costly to restart the plant.

Sen. Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael expressed disappointment with the closure, but was hopeful for the future uses of the 1957 plant in Jackson County.

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