Contacts: Wayne Ranick: 412-562-2444, wranick@usw.org
Tony Montana: 412-562-2592, tmontana@usw.org
(Pittsburgh) – Late Tuesday evening, the United Steelworkers (USW) offered to continue working following the expiration of the current labor agreement with Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), and to continue negotiations for a fair agreement.
While the differences between the parties are quite significant, the USW believes the company should depart from its current, nonsense course of hiring temporary replacement workers and security goons. Instead, the union hopes that the company will finally turn its attention to reaching a settlement with its workforce.
“We stand prepared to continue to negotiate and to search for an agreement that works for both parties, but we will not be bullied or intimidated by tactics or threats,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.
“The union is sensitive to the current market conditions, the equipment conditions within certain plants and the uncertainty this creates for the customers who rely on the quality steels we produce,” said USW International Vice President Tom Conway who heads the union’s bargaining committee at ATI.
“We urge the company’s leadership to adopt a similar approach as its current “scorched earth” approach is neither productive nor effective. The USW looks forward to further discussions that are fruitful as we are committed to both our solidarity and a fair settlement.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/.
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