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USW Members Ratified the Contract, But ATI Continues the Dispute
Last week USW members ratified the tentative agreement with ATI, but since the announcement was made, ATI management has done nothing to end the dispute.
What we said about ATI’s “relentless mismanagement” during the strike is accurate, and unfortunately ATI must want the dispute to continue. If we’re judging by their actions, ATI management obviously does not care about the represented employees, our safety and health, our families or ending the divide between management and the workers. Bob Wetherbee’s rhetoric and Kim Fields public statements about wanting us to be part of the team and how much they want us to returned to work are just words, because they are already allowing their management to ignore the contract, disregard the settlement agreement and violate the return to work agreement. If they really cared, they would instruct management to stop their attempts to punish workers for implementing our legal right to strike in order to achieve a fair and just collective bargaining agreement.
Since the contract was ratified, we have had to fight ATI on safety issues before we return to work. We have had to fight about inspecting the plants and even had threaten to invoke the safety dispute process. We all remember what the scabs did to the plants and equipment in 2016, and we are not going to allow USW members to be placed in the same situation. Management told us that they will deny the $4,000 lump sum payments to those of us that do not return to work, and they will not restart health care coverage for members and their families until they are recalled.
These positions are blatantly contrary to our agreement. ATI agreed in the Settlement Agreement that the contract is retroactive to March 1st. The BLA and PIB determines eligibility for the lump sum payments and healthcare eligibility. They are simply violating the BLA/PIB in an effort to attack the credibility of the union and withhold benefits from our members and their families. We will process grievances in accordance with the time limits and if the grievances are not resolved, we’ll get them to arbitration as soon as possible.
If management really cared about the employees, their families, the communities, the customers and the stockholders they would end their relentless attacks on the workers and the stakeholders.
Stand together -- Our solidarity and determination will prevail.
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