Dominion's natural gas and interstate transmission subsidiaries have locked out 915 union employees in six states over what the company says is the union's refusal to have its members vote on a tentative four-year contract.
Dominion said in a statement that the lockout was effective Wednesday for United Gas Workers Union Local 69 members working at Dominion Hope and Dominion Transmission in Ohio, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
The lockout only affects four Maryland workers — two based at Dominion's Myersville station, in Frederick County, and two who do maintenance work on the utility's Cove Point pipeline in Southern Maryland, said a Dominion spokesman.
The statement says union members can't return to work until the contract is ratified.
Local President Craig Bradford said a union council met after the agreement was signed Aug. 26 and rejected the pact in part over proposals saying upcoming new hires would lose medical insurance upon their retirement and their pensions would be replaced with a cash savings plan.
Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Gantz contributed to this report.