USW Statement on Alcoa Retiree Health Benefits Order

Contact: Tony Montana, tmontana@usw.org

The United Steelworkers (USW) issued the following statement from District 7 Director Mike Millsap after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court denied Alcoa’s motion to delay a District Court order requiring the company to reinstate a retiree benefit plan while its appeal is pending:

“The USW is pleased with the court’s decision, and with the retirees, is prepared to defend the District Court’s ruling in the appeals court. It is only right that Alcoa restore the benefit plan it ended without justification.

“The retirees affected by Alcoa’s decision all left the company more than 30 years ago, before 1993, and they are at a particularly vulnerable stage in their lives, when dependable health and retirement benefits are especially critical.

“The so-called replacement plan Alcoa imposed provided lower benefits and was complicated and burdensome for retirees and surviving spouses, most of whom are between 80 and 90 years old. As a result, many of them lost or declined coverage.

“This ruling is an important step toward protecting the dignity and security these retirees earned through a lifetime of work. We remain committed to standing with our retirees until justice is fully achieved.”