United Steelworkers' Members Ratify Four-Year Agreement With Arconic

(RTTNews) - The United Steelworkers or USW said that its members ratified a new, four-year master contract with Arconic (ARNC) covering about 3,400 workers in Davenport, Iowa; Alcoa, Tenn.; Lafayette, Ind.; and Massena, N.Y.

The newly ratified contract increases wages by 22 percent over the next four years, provides $4,000 in essential worker appreciation bonus paid in two payments, adds Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday, increases shift and schedule premiums, improves vacation for new hires, increases retirement income security, raises weekly Sickness & Accident benefits, adopts a formulary for specialty drugs and maintains the current medical coverage with no increases in employee premiums, deductibles or office visit copays.

The new agreement strengthens requirements that the company eliminate the known risks posed by equipment, applies the hierarchy of controls, improves language on personal protective equipment, secures and strengthens the activities of the Union-Management Health & Safety Committee and enhances employee rights to stop work that they believe to be unsafe or unhealthy.