Click here to download this update as a PDF.
USW to Pursue Ohio Unemployment in Appeal
On Wednesday, we received the initial ruling in Ohio and have been denied unemployment benefits despite the seriousness of ATI’s unfair labor practices that instigated our strike.
The USW will appeal the determination, and in the meantime, we ask everyone to continue to file for weekly benefits.
Everyone in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts should contact their state representatives immediately to tell them we deserve unemployment as we fight for our jobs, families and futures.
Click the link to send a letter today: http://usw.to/3tx.
ATI Will Not Divide Us with Lies
While ATI’s relentless mismanagement remains absent from bargaining table, its competitors are gaining ground and filling orders that the company cannot.
Instead of hiding behind its website to attempt to confuse and divide USW members, ATI ought to be negotiating in good faith rather than prolonging the dispute with misleading propaganda.
False: ATI says they engaged the federal mediator in hopes of reconvening discussions toward reaching an agreement.
Truth: ATI has refused to respond to the USW calls for around the clock negotiations and have ignored the calls for meetings from the mediator.
False: ATI says they have proposed every viable option that it can conceive.
Truth: The USW has proposed many options, but none are acceptable to ATI other than accepting their concessionary proposal.
False: ATI proposed a less costly plan design
Truth: ATI accepted the USW innovative plan design; they just want it to include premiums.
Okay, how about a less costly plan design for new hires? No way, we want everyone to have the same plan.
False: ATI says they are not shifting existing costs to employees. They say “Under this current contract, we’ll pay what we’re paying now and more – but we need our employees to join us in addressing this cost.”
Truth: From the very first proposal in January until the very last proposal we received on April 26, 2021,ATI has said no wage increases or bonus unless they received concessions in other areas of the contract.
So sure, they offer a lump sum bonus and 9% wage increases (3% per year in years two, three and four), BUT:
- USW members would be required to pay for health care,
- the company would eliminate profit sharing,
- ATI would reduce funding to the VEBA,
- they refuse to grant shutdown pensions to those who have earned them unless we ratify the concessionary contract, and
- management would continue to diminish the size and scope of the O&T bargaining unit.
ATI will be profitable both by its own admissions and as experts have predicted, and the company continues to hold $500 million dollars in the cash drawer. Yet, the best they can do is demand concessions and tell lies and half-truths?
Like ATI’s bargaining strategy and the way it treats workers in general, management has been untruthful, deceitful and wrong, and the USW is committed to hold ATI accountable for its continued bad faith bargaining and other unfair labor practices.
It's the USW that provided the last proposals and offers to the company on May 6th and again on June 9th without a counter from ATI.
Of course on its website, management claims to want to meet and wants to settle. If they are telling the truth, they should accept our offer to bargain around the clock until a settlement is reached. We’re ready, how about ATI?
Sign up to receive USW/ATI text updates - send the message ATI to the number 47486.