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RV Dealer Says AK Parking Workers Elsewhere

Posted on: Friday, 10 March 2006, 09:00 CST

By Eric Robinette, Middletown Journal, Ohio

Mar. 10--MONROE -- The AK Steel Corp. employees who have been parking at LeSourdsville Lake were making their way out Wednesday, according to the owner of the RV dealership located there.

Jerry Couch, the owner of Couch's Campers, announced last week he had asked the workers to leave the premises.

Although the workers did not immediately depart, Couch said that by Wednesday morning only about nine "stragglers" were left. AK security employees were taking the license plate numbers of the remaining cars to tell their owners to relocate, he said.

"AK informed me they would get another place. They agreed to leave, and they're basically out of here," Couch said.

Couch would not say where the workers would go, but it was his understanding the workers were salaried employees.

Alan McCoy, AK's vice president, government and public relations, would not confirm any details.

Couch initially had agreed to let the AK workers park there on Feb. 24, the Friday before the March 1 lockout of nearly 2,600 members of the Armco Employees Independent Federation.

"I felt the cars would be safer here, and there was less chance the cars would be vandalized," Couch said. "I thought it was positive." Once the lockout happened, though, Couch -- a former Armco employee and union member -- said he changed his mind.

"The lockout took place, and I said, wait a minute, that's a different angle. From that point, it went downhill," Couch said.

On March 2, Couch released a statement saying, "As a businessman, I have made a great mistake to involve myself in this situation." After that letter was released, Couch said, there were as many as 175 vehicles on the lot in front of the long-closed amusement park, which Couch owns.

Couch said he has heard people comment that he went back on his word and was allowing the AK employees to stay, but it was not so.

"I got accused of saying one thing and doing another," he said.

Asked if the parking situation had affected his RV business, Couch said, "I'll survive this. It's been a struggle at times out there. I can tell a difference."

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Copyright (c) 2006, Middletown Journal, Ohio

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AKS,

Source: Middletown Journal

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