Honeywell lockout at Illinois uranium plant coming to an end

A seven-month lockout at a Honeywell International uranium conversion plant in Illinois, U.S., may be finally coming to an end as the company and employees reached a tentative agreement this weekend.

According to Nuclear Street, the parties agreed to return to the bargaining table with federal mediation on Wednesday, potentially ending a work stoppage that has had a key facility out of commission.

Hundreds of production and maintenance employees at the plant, who are members of United Steelworkers Local 7-669, have been locked out since the start of August last year, after a three-year contract expired.

Honeywell’s Metropolis plant is the only U.S. facility that converts uranium oxide into to uranium hexafluoride, which is then enriched to be used as fuel in nuclear power plants.