Economy

Federal Mediator to Meet With USW and ATI
Written by Sandy Williams
September 2, 2015
The USW plans to meet with Allegheny Technologies Inc. and a federal mediator in Pittsburgh on Sept. 11 and 12. ATI locked out its 2200 steelworkers August 15 after contract talks broke down.
The USW claims the lockout was unlawful and has been ”pursuing all legal remedies that are available.”
The union in communication with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) since the beginning of negotiations.
According to a union update, the USW has received no straight answer on whether ATI has modified their “Last, Best and Final Offer.”
“We have decided to meet again with ATI in an attempt to reason with the company and encourage them to step back from the destructive path they have chosen and bargain a fair agreement with the union,” said the USW.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Economy

Chicago PMI dips 0.1 points in June
The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) slipped 0.1 points to 40.4 points, in June.

Multi-family pullback drives housing starts to 5-year low in May
US housing starts tumbled in May to a five-year low, according to figures recently released by the US Census Bureau.

Architecture firms still struggling, ABI data shows
Architecture firms reported a modest improvement in billings through May, yet business conditions remained soft, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) release from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek.

Manufacturing in New York state contracts again
However, companies are growing more optimistic about the future.

ArcelorMittal plans wire-drawing closure in Hamilton, shifts production to Montreal
ArcelorMittal’s (AM) Hamilton location to be shuttered, wire production shifting to Montreal.