Despite assurances that Allegheny Energy Inc. jobs will not be lost in a merger with First Energy Corp., a state senator and a union president representing 1,100 Allegheny Energy workers said Tuesday they are concerned about the effect on jobs and customers.

“My concern is, when they are talking about the jobs, are they talking about taking care of the jobs here (in Westmoreland County) or moving it to Ohio,” said Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, whose 39th district covers central and southern Westmoreland County. Ward said she had hoped to discuss the issue with First Energy CEO Anthony Alexander on Tuesday, but foggy conditions at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity prevented the company’s plane from landing.

“I want to sit down and meet with him face-to-face. I want to see what his intentions are,” said Ward, who wants to reschedule the meeting in early March.

Allegheny Energy CEO Paul J. Evanson said when the merger was announced on Feb. 11 that the intent is to keep job losses as small as possible, and there probably would be no job reductions at service centers and power plants. Evanson said some First Energy operations in Pennsylvania might move to Allegheny Energy’s Greensburg headquarters, the work site for about 900 of its 1,125 employees in Westmoreland County.

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first published week of:   03/01/2010