Contact: Wayne Ranick: 412-562-2444, wranick@usw.org
(PITTSBURGH) – The USW Bargaining Committee at ATI issued the following statement today after meeting in Pittsburgh to review the company’s Aug. 6 “last best and final” contract offer. The company requested that “the Union accept this proposal and recommend it for ratification by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2015” and that, if the USW failed to accept the proposal and recommend it for ratification, “the Company reserves its right to take lawful action, including a lockout, for the purpose of supporting” its bargaining position.
We remain committed to negotiating an agreement that is fair to both the company and the union. We believe we’ve made significant progress in these talks and that there is ample opportunity for us to continue to do so. Unfortunately, ATI continues to try to force us into accepting an agreement solely on its terms. We cannot and will not accept the company’s recent ultimatum.
Instead, we intend to return to our local unions to meet with our fellow USW members so we can review with them the specifics of these proposals. After these discussions, we will be better prepared to determine our next step, including whether we will present this offer to the full membership for a vote.
“This company would be better served spending more time at the bargaining table working with us on real solutions than working against us by setting false deadlines and attempting to divide our membership,” said USW International Vice President Tom Conway, who chairs the union bargaining committee. “Our talks have been productive. Our hope is that ATI will return to the table with realistic proposals, and we can continue to move forward.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors, including 2,200 members at 12 ATI locations. For more information: http://www.usw.org/ and http://www.usw.org/act/campaigns/ati-bargaining
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