CONTACT: Tony Montana, (412) 562-2592, tmontana@usw.org
The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that contract negotiations with Alcoa (NYSE: AA) have broken off, hours before contract expiration and with the company demanding economic and non-economic concessions that the union has dismissed as excessive and unnecessary.
The USW and Alcoa have agreed that union members will continue working under the terms and conditions of their current contracts while negotiations proceed.
USW International Vice President Tom Conway, who chairs the negotiations, said that the proposals currently on the table from Alcoa contain givebacks both too broad and too deep for our members and families to absorb.
“Management should understand by now that we are determined to negotiate fair agreements and nothing less,” Conway said. “Our members at Alcoa create tremendous value and have earned and deserve a contract that recognizes their contributions to the company's continued success.”
In the coming days, representatives from the USW negotiating committee will be returning to their local unions to provide detailed updates from the table and discuss the union's next steps.
The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in manufacturing, metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.