Opinion ID: 757588
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: facts

Text: 79 The majority presents a lengthy rendition of the facts, and I will emphasize only a few in my dissent. In reference to the trailer fire, someone labeled K, probably Horsehead Director of Operations Thomas Knepper or perhaps Horsehead negotiator Martha Koletar, is quoted as saying during a bargaining session that: We realize it could also have been a visit by Clymersville personnel as they have already demonstrated their ability. The phrase Clymersville personnel appears to refer to a group of people who were suing Horsehead for environmental damage. This group also may include the person whom the majority opinion refers to as a kindly environmentalist in Clymersville. See supra at 336. According to the majority, Knepper declined to blame union members for the fire because he did not want to antagonize the union negotiating team. See supra at 335 n. 6. Indeed, Horsehead was so solicitous of the tender feelings of the union members that it declined even to question its employees regarding the source of the fire. 80 Horsehead delayed the onset of negotiations until early February, and the parties agreed to begin the negotiations by focusing on non-economic issues. The majority acknowledges that Horsehead did not make a wage proposal at the initial, February 7 meeting. Even after Horsehead made its February 25 wage proposal, the negotiations followed a stop-and-start pattern. During meetings on the 25th, Horsehead negotiators said they were having difficulty reaching company higher-ups in New York City. For reasons that remain unclear, although union representative John Williams testified in the administrative hearing that we offered to meet the whole weekend of the 26th and 27th, no meeting was scheduled for Saturday, February 26. Horsehead then canceled a meeting scheduled for Sunday, February 27. The majority points out that Horsehead's Knepper testified that the union's Williams had no objection to cancellation of the Sunday meeting. See supra at 335. Williams's testimony, however, seems to indicate that he intended to meet on Sunday. When asked: Did you meet on Sunday the 27th? Williams responded: 81 At 12:00 o'clock I drove in. When I got here I met with the committee to try and find out what was happening and we did. Then the mediator come to my room. I was staying at the Holiday Inn. He said that he would come back--he called Ms. Koletar and she was the only one there. She said that she'd meet with us but the rest of the people were at the plant so there was no meeting on Sunday. 82 The next time economic proposals were discussed was on February 28, the day before the collective-bargaining agreement was due to expire.