United Steelworkers Ratify Four-Year Contracts With Allegheny Ludlum Corp. And Oregon Metallurgical Company

PITTSBURGH -- Members of the United Steelworkers yesterday ratified new four-year contracts with Allegheny Ludlum Corp. and the Oregon Metallurgical Co. (OREMET), both units of specialty metals producer Allegheny Technologies Inc.

The agreements, which take effect July 1, 2007, were approved by a vote of 1,646 to 857, according to a count of the ballots conducted at the USW’s headquarters in Pittsburgh.

The agreements cover approximately 3,128 USW members at plant locations in Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“We’re pleased with the results of the voting,” said USW International Vice President Tom Conway. “It positions us to go forward in a good market.”

Highlights of the settlements include wage increases, a $3,500 signing bonus, cash payments to retired USW members and improvements to the existing pension plan.

Hourly production and maintenance employees at Allegheny Ludlum will receive wage increases of 75 cents per hour in the first year of the agreement and 60 cents an hour in each of the following years. The OREMET settlement is similar.

In addition, a trust fund was created to protect current and future retiree health care benefits to be funded by profit sharing payments of up to $20 million during the four-year term of the agreements.

The current agreements expire on June 30, 2007. The USW opened early negotiations with the Allegheny Technologies companies because of the strength in the stainless and titanium markets and to avoid the disruption that sometimes comes with taking these issues to the deadline.

The USW is the largest private sector manufacturing union in the United States with 850,000 members.
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