Officials with the USW Local 1190 said the union will be restructured because of the sale of former RG Steel properties.


Ernie Gambellin, who has served as president of the Local 1190, said local union officials received a letter on Thursday that the International USW will be taking over administration of the 1190.


However, he said the International USW is not dissolving the Local 1190, and its charter has not been taken away. Instead, he described the changes as a reorganization of the local union's structure.


"I don't want anyone to get the impression that the International is taking over through this transition. They'll still use the local people to help through the transition," he said. "What that means is they're going to help us through this transition period that we're going through with the bargaining at the coke plant in Follansbee and hopefully bargaining with an owner in Mingo."


Gambellin said the Local 1190 is still here, but there have been changes and the International USW will help them through those changes.


"The way it's been and what the International (USW) does is they step in and help you transition. For us, that transition will be where we land, because at this point we still don't know where we're going to land. We're going to land on our feet but we don't know how we'll end up," Gambellin said.


He said the Local 1190 union hall will never be the same because there isn't the volume of people working to sustain the hall.


"I've been assured that local people will be involved in this. It's something that has to happen. It's a reality. Three years ago, there were 1,500 people. Today as I stand there are 200 people, and the 200 people are without a contract. So we're anxious to get a contract, anxious and still hopeful for Mingo. But the reality is we have 200 employees. What we once had will probably never be again, so that's where we stand," he said.


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