No Surprises as Bargaining Begins
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USW negotiations began with ATI this week in Pittsburgh, and we met both internally and with management.
Our 2021 negotiations certainly look different as we bargain virtually and in-person with social distancing measures in place, but management's position at this point does not recognize the contributions of employees over the years.
Certainly, ATl's profitability is challenged by the overall economy and the impact of COVID. However, the company has announced plans on how operationally they can return to sustainability and viability, yet make no consideration in the plan or their proposal for the employees or their families who have not had a wage increase since 2014.
In some ways, our negotiations in 2020 helped narrow down the issues for our current talks, but unfortunately management has packed as many concessions as possible into its opening proposal:
- ATl's main economic proposal is that we bargain against ourselves with a demand for the cost of any wage improvements for USW members to be more than offset by other changes in the contract.
- Management has attacked our seniority protections and demanded reductions in our rights to transfer.
- Management persists with a profit sharing plan so hard to understand that it provides no incentive for employees.
- ATI seeks an agreement that enrolls all new hires into the same health care plan it forces on salaried personnel, effectively establishing a second tier for benefits and a right to reduce benefits and increase premiums without negotiations.
- Management has proposed to have the ability to schedule employees up to 12 hours per day without daily overtime.
- Demands to remove contracting out protections and allow contractors to perform production work. They want to expand the use of non-core work and the ability to contract out Machine Shop and Railroad work. They also want to restructure the Research and Testing facilities and deny the union the right to grieve their actions.
- Management's proposal does not address local issues or provide guidance for possible future pandemic response.
- We also have not received the information we requested to bargain the effects of company's announced plan to idle operations in Louisville, Waterbury and the #3 Finishing Department in Brackenridge.
- The company has proposed to grossly underfund the VEBA considering the increased number of participants expected from facilities the company intends to idle.
There's no doubt that economic conditions caused by the pandemic have resulted in decreased demand in the market for many of its products, but we cannot allow ATI management to use these extraordinary (but temporary) circumstances as an excuse to undo generations of collective bargaining progress.
ATI Steelworkers, who haven't received a general wage increase since 2014, deserve a fair contract. We deserve quality, affordable health insurance and the ability to retire with dignity, which includes a fair pension.
We understand that this is a difficult time and that working together is the surest path to stability and security for the company and our jobs, but management has once again reverted to its past bad behavior of demanding workers bear an unfair portion the cost.
We are absolutely confident that we can negotiate a fair contract with your continued support and the solidarity of Steelworkers at ATI facilities across the country.
Meetings with management will continue in the coming days, and we have several outstanding information requests.
Please stay safe wherever you are, and we'll be sure to provide regular updates as the process continues.
In unity,
Your USW/ATI Negotiating Committee
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