Union Workers Demand Justice at ASARCO Headquarters

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

Tucson, Az. – The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that members of eight international unions marched and rallied for a fair contract at ASARCO, LLC’s corporate headquarters.

USW District 12 Director Bob LaVenture, who chairs negotiations with the Grupo Mexico subsidiary on behalf of more than 2,000 hourly workers at five ASARCO locations in Arizona and Texas, urged the company to bargain in good faith for a fair contract for all of the company’s employees.

“For nearly two years, we have fought to end inequality at ASARCO,” LaVenture said, “but management refuses to address our unions’ serious concerns on behalf of newer hires and seeks to embed its unjust treatment of workers into our contract.”

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ASARCO still refuses to pay collectively bargained quarterly bonuses based on the price of copper to hundreds of employees hired after July 1, 2011, even after an arbitrator in December 2014 ordered that the company pay millions to workers who have been unfairly left out, LaVenture said.

“It’s clear that the union membership across all five facilities remains united in solidarity to demand fairness at ASARCO, no matter when they were hired or where,” he said. “Our negotiating committee is fighting for everyone.”

Since their previous labor agreement expired at the end of June 2013, union members have worked under an extended contract subject to a 15 day notice for either side to terminate while negotiations proceed.

The USW and other unions at ASARCO have also participated in a series of solidarity actions and trainings with members of Los Mineros, the union that represents workers at Grupo Mexico facilities in Mexico.

In conjunction with our rally today at Asarco/Grupo Mexico, Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ 3rd District) sent the following letter of support. Click Here.

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. Visit http://www.usw.org/asarco for more news and updates.

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