The Strike That Almost Was: Labor Relations Crisis at Hartwell Paper

Hartwell Paper has operated a single 650-employee plant in rural Pennsylvania since 1934. It is the largest employer in the county. For decades, labor-management relations were stable - tense but functional. Four years ago, the third-generation family owners sold to a private equity firm. The new ownership cut benefits, restructured shifts, and replaced the longtime plant manager with a cost-reduction specialist from outside the industry. The union - United Steelworkers Local 447 - has filed 38 grievances in the past 18 months. The near-strike was triggered by a safety dispute that was technically resolved but emotionally unresolved. The altercation involved a supervisor named Don Pratt and union steward Marcus Jennings. Pratt is still in his role. Jennings is on administrative leave. The union is calling it retaliation.

Key Stakeholders

Greg Falco

Plant Manager

Diane Novak

Union President, USW Local 447

Janet Kwon

HR Director (recently hired from corporate)

Learning Objectives

• Assess organizational conditions that escalate to workplace violence
• Apply trauma-informed and labor relations frameworks simultaneously
• Distinguish incident response from systemic root cause analysis
• Navigate politically charged stakeholder dynamics with neutrality
• Develop intervention recommendations that address power, safety, and culture