Steel Mills
USW and ATI Announce Tentative Agreement
Written by Sandy Williams
February 23, 2016
The United Steelworkers and Allegheny Technologies have reached a tentative agreement on a new four year contract.
Approximately 2,220 workers have been out of jobs since August 2015 in what the USW and National Labor Relations Board has termed an illegal lockout. The new contract and back-to-work agreements are subject to ratification by the membership a well as approval by the NLRB. The process is expected to take several weeks. Details of the agreement will be officially released following ratification.
“This is a tremendous victory for a very brave group of workers. They should be proud of this agreement, and of the resolve they demonstrated throughout this six-month ordeal,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “They showed us all the strength that we can have when we stand together in unflinching solidarity.”
“This company was, from day one, determined to intimidate, rather than negotiate, its way to an agreement, and they failed. These workers stood up and said very clearly that ATI’s behavior was unacceptable,” said USW International Vice President Tom Conway, the chairman of the USW’s bargaining committee. “Now it is time to heal and move on from the damage this company has inflicted in the past six months. We look forward to ratifying this agreement, returning to work, and getting back to doing what we do best – making the best steel in the world.”
Allegheny Technologies confirmed the agreement in a press release but offered no further comments.
Sandy Williams
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