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Occupy Century Aluminum Receives Support From Athens Co. Residents
By: WOUB Staff Writer
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A group of protesters outside a Ravenswood, West Virginia plant now have a new set of supplies after nearly three months of camping out.
About 15 protesters have been living in tents since December in an attempt to convince the local Century Aluminum plant to restore health benefits to its former employees.
A group of Athens County residents yesterday traveled to the plant to support the Occupy Century Aluminum movement.
Jan Griesinger led the group. Griesinger says Century Aluminum closed the plant in 2009, and told its former employees nine months later that it would no longer provide retiree health benefits.
"This particular group has an issue in the West Virginia legislature, which they say they believe the legislature will support. The company wants special tax breaks and the legislature is going to say "no, not until you restore healthcare for these employees we will not grant you such a thing". Well, that vote has not come yet, but hopefully that will pass and that's a very specific thing that they need right now," said Griesinger.
The Athens County residents took donations of food and firewood to the group of protesters.