A lockout of security personnel at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station has moved into its second month without apparent movement between Entergy and the union that represents the affected workers.

Non-union workers and staff from Entergy’s other nuclear plants have secured the Claiborne County reactor since Oct. 1 after talks between the utility and United Government Security Officers of America to renew a contract stalled.

Neither side sees a quick solution.

“The contingency staffing plan implemented on Oct. 1 remains in place today,” Entergy Nuclear spokeswoman Suzanne Anderson said. “We remain committed to good faith bargaining and are ready to continue discussions with UGSOA leadership through the federal mediation process.”

About 25 to 30 workers picketed near the access road to the plant entrance in the days following the lockout.

The union has said Entergy worked guards more hours than federal law allows just before the lockout and sent waivers to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to justify the overages more often than it should have.

In a statement in October, UGSOA questioned Entergy’s staffing levels at plants from where it has transferred staff, citing moves from Pilgrim plant in Plymouth, Mass., Vermont Yankee plant in Vernon, Vt., and Palisades plant in Covert Township, Mich.

“The question that must be asked is, given Entergy’s issues at other plants with low staffing and safety, is Entergy operating with safe staffing levels after it locked-out the Security Officers in Port Gibson?” asked the statement from union president Desiree Sullivan.

In June, a 6-month effort was completed to refuel the boiling-water reactor and upgrade its generating capacity by 13 percent.

Also in June, union workers at the Pilgrim plant were locked out after a tentative contract expired. On Wednesday, the Palisades plant went back online after a brief shutdown for an internal leak of radioactive steam.