USW Members Ratify Five-Year Master Agreement with Kaiser Aluminum

Contact: Tony Montana (412) 562-2592; tmontana@usw.org

PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that members of Local 338 at Kaiser Aluminum’s Trentwood plant near Spokane, Wash. and Local 341 at the company’s Newark, Ohio facility this week ratified a five-year master collective bargaining agreement. Contract talks also included reaching an agreement at the Kaiser owned Alutek plant in Spokane.

The new contract, which runs through Sept. 30, 2020, raises wages by 14% over its term and includes a $1,000 ratification bonus for about 1,200 production, maintenance, clerical and technical workers company-wide. The USW also maintained workers’ current health care plan with no premium contributions and improved pensions.

USW District 12 Director Bob LaVenture, who chairs the union’s Kaiser Aluminum negotiations, complimented the work done by local union leadership and staff throughout the bargaining and ratification process.

“We’ve improved the security of our earnings, benefits and retirements during a period of uncertainty in the industry as Chinese, Russian and other competitors try to push and shove their way into a larger share of our market,” LaVenture said. “Our committee and membership deserve a lot of credit for standing together throughout this process.”

The agreement resolved a number of economic and non-economic worksite-specific issues and includes a commitment from Kaiser to continue funding retiree benefits through a Voluntary Employee Benefit Association (VEBA) trust into 2018.

The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in 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.

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