Click here to download a PDF of this flyer to distribute at your facility.
We all recognize and understand that ArcelorMittal has attempted to use the current downturn in the steel market as an excuse to demand concessions from USW workers that would lower the standard of living for tens of thousands of USW members and retirees.
We all know that the steel industry in the U.S. is suffering the effects of unfair trade, and we will continue to fight to stop subsidized and illegally imported foreign products from flooding the domestic market, creating downward pressure on prices and disruptions throughout the supply chain.
However, ArcelorMittal’s contract demands – including the company’s persistent drive to lower our benefits, demand premiums from active Steelworkers and increase premiums on retirees – does absolutely nothing to address the real problems facing the industry. In fact, we have offered innovative proposals that will reduce their costs, but they demand more cuts just on “principle” alone.
Likewise, we consider the unnecessary and unfortunate changes ArcelorMittal announced regarding healthcare for salaried workers as a similarly short-sighted attempt to cut costs only for the sake of cutting costs, knowing that “at-will and non-represented” employees have no recourse to resist or fight back.
In the company’s recent blog (Raw Material), they write that the decision to force salaried workers into an awful Consumer Driven Health Plan was driven by a provision of the Affordable Care Act; this assertion is fundamentally false. The provision they reference will not even take effect until 2018, if ever, and it does not apply unless the employer provided health care plan costs more annually than $10,200 for single coverage and more than $27,500 for family coverage.
The USW health care plans are below the threshold, so we doubt the salary plans are more expensive. However, we recognize the non-represented salary employees have their compensation plans and we have ours. In any event, the cuts to the salary benefits plans are unnecessary and unfortunate in terms of real sustainability for the company.
Obviously while we do not always see “eye to eye” with middle management, we generally live in the same neighborhoods. Our children go to the same schools, and at the end of the day, it’s just another attack on the middle class standard of living of many families.
Throughout these 2015 contract negotiations, our union has been open and transparent while keeping Steelworkers company-wide up to date on our progress with timely, plain-English bargaining updates and regular membership meetings.
We understand that the slow pace of these talks is frustrating for many USW members and retirees, but our faith in the collective bargaining process remains unshaken. We must stay positive and continue to operate our facilities safely while negotiations proceed.
As we have said many times, our ability to resist ArcelorMittal’s unfair and unnecessary demands and our power at the bargaining table flows directly from the solidarity and support of our membership.
As long as we Steelworkers stay united, our common goals will be within reach.
Profit Sharing Update
Finally, the union was notified as we were developing this Update that the Profit Sharing payment for the 3rd quarter will be $0.665 per eligible hour worked resulting in an average estimated Profit Sharing payment of $350.
In solidarity,
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