Contact: Jess Kamm Broomell, 412-562-2444, jkamm@usw.org
(Pittsburgh) – Members of the United Steelworkers union (USW) today ratified a new four-year contract with specialty steel maker Allegheny Technologies Inc., (ATI) that raises wages, provides lump-sum payments and protects affordable, high-quality health care for current and future workers.
In accordance with an agreement between the union and the company, 1,300 USW members in nine ATI locations will begin returning to work on or before July 18, ending an unfair labor practice strike that began March 30, 2021.
“Our members showed tremendous strength and solidarity, beating back demands for concessions that would have hurt generations of workers,” said USW International President Tom Conway. “This contract reflects how truly powerful working people can be when we fight together.”
USW members voted to ratify the tentative agreement reached on July 2. The new contract runs from March 1, 2021, through February 28, 2025.
“The company came into these negotiations in January looking for unfair and unnecessary concessions,” said USW Vice President David McCall, who chairs negotiations with ATI. “But after years of sacrifice, including the past year working through the pandemic, our members deserve a deal that reflects their contributions to the company’s success. This contract achieves that goal.”
The new contract preserves premium-free health insurance coverage without the second, lower tier of health care for new hires the company wanted. It also provides $7,000 in direct payments and a 9 percent increase in wages over the life of the agreement, as well as protecting union jobs against outside contractors, safeguarding shutdown pensions and making other important improvements.
“I’m proud that our members refused to be intimidated by the company’s tactics,” said McCall. “While we certainly tried to avoid a labor dispute, when we were forced to strike against ATI’s unfair labor practices, our members stuck together and remained committed to reaching a fair deal. Now that solidarity is paying off.”
The USW represents about 850,000 North American workers in a variety of industries such as steel, aluminum and other metals; pulp and paper; tires and rubber; chemicals; energy producing; oil refining; healthcare; the service and public sectors; and a growing number in professional, tech and academic fields.