In February 1996 Crown locked 252 workers out of its refinery here during heated contract negotiations. The workers contend the charges of sabotage were nothing more than the company's attempt to force the workers to accept a concessionary contract.

The press release quotes Joe Campbell, a local union official, saying, "The dropping of the FBI investigation exonerates" the workers. "We are also confident that Crown's phony civil lawsuit will go nowhere due to lack of evidence."

The sabotage charges were leveled against the workers in 1996. Crown filed a civil lawsuit against the local union and 15 of its members two years later, repeating the same charges. The judge and Crown's lawyers have been undeterred by their lack of evidence or the FBI's decision to drop the case.

Dean Cook is a locked-out Crown worker  
 
 
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