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Utility Workers Picket For New Contract

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- Union utility workers are picketing in Frederick to draw attention to their contract dispute with FirstEnergy Corp.

The Frederick News-Post reports that Local 102 members of the Utility Workers Union of America have been picketing outside the Frederick office of the company's Potomac Edison subsidiary once a week for the past two months.

Their contract covering about 770 workers in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia expired April 30.

The Akron, Ohio-based company says it's trying to equalize benefits for all FirstEnergy workers under 21 different contracts. The company says its latest offer includes an 8 percent wage increase over three years.

The union says the company's offer would take away millions of dollars from workers and unfairly allow FirstEnergy to unilaterally amend or terminate benefits.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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