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Senator urges CEO of International Fiber to end lockout

Daniel Muth, CEO of International Fiber, says company tried to avoid lockout at Urbana facility.

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By Matt Sanctis, Staff Writer Updated 8:57 AM Wednesday, June 8, 2011

URBANA — As a lockout at an Urbana business stretches on for more than a month, the company’s CEO told a U.S. senator this week that the business went out of its way to avoid a lockout.

Daniel Muth, chief executive officer at International Fiber Corp., sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, arguing the company negotiated a new contract with local union workers for more than six months before a lockout was imposed May 3. International Fiber Corp., based in New York, employs more than 90 workers at its Urbana facility on Muzzy Road.

Last week, Brown sent a letter to the company, urging it to end the lockout. Officials from the Teamsters Local 957, which represents the employees, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Union officials have argued the company used the lockout to retaliate against them for rejecting the company’s offer.

But Muth argued the company already pays higher than average wages and has doubled its local workforce in the last five years.

“The lockout came only after we had made our last and final offer and we had offered to meet with the union bargaining committee during the month of April,” Muth wrote in his letter to Brown.

Muth also said the employees were placed on paid furlough for four days to vote on the contract and avoid the lockout, but no vote was taken until May 5.

“You have asked if you can be of assistance,” Muth wrote. “You can urge the union to re-vote our proposed contract.”

On Tuesday, Lauren Kulik, Brown’s spokeswoman, said Brown appreciated the response.

“He (Brown) is always concerned when there is a lockout and Ohio workers and businesses are unable to move forward on negotiations,” Kulik said.

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