Arconic Workers Have Mixed Reaction To Terms Of Tentative Agreement

Late Saturday night (May 14), just hours before the United Steelworkers contract with Arconic was set to expire resulting in a strike, a tentative deal was reached to keep the workers working.

Just two days before the union voted to authorize a strike and it appeared one was inevitable with the slow-moving negotiations.  Arconic workers were looking for a new contract after the company reported large profits.  The union workers were deemed essential during the pandemic working extra hours and they wanted a contract that was in line with the profits vs. the work.

United Steelworkers terms of the new deal with Arconic,

The deal, which was fully endorsed by the bargaining committee, is a 4-year deal that includes:

• 7% the 1st
• 4.5% the next 3
• Total of 20.5% the entire contract.
• No healthcare changes
• $6.00 multiplayer on retirement
• MLK added as paid holiday
• $4k signing bonus, $2k now and then $2k in January 2023.
• Red Card moved from 30% to 50%

Of course, any new deal is not going to be 100% universally loved by the workers.  As you can see below in the Facebook post there was plenty of reaction and comments both positive and negative.

The post with the biggest split of thumbs up and angry faces was this one about PFP.

USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez, who chaired the negotiations, said the tentative agreement features substantial wage and benefit improvements for all Arconic employees.

“For their outstanding work throughout the pandemic and beyond, USW members have earned and deserve a fair agreement,” Ramirez said. “The unity and solidarity of our membership across all of the Arconic locations enabled us to negotiate improved security for our earnings, benefits and jobs in this contract.”

The USW committee will now return to their locals to discuss the terms of the proposed agreement with workers with the unanimous recommendation that it be ratified.