September 29, 2015
By Steve Wishnia and Neal Tepel
Allegheny Technologies Inc.’s lockout of more than 2,000 United Steelworkers members in six states is now in its seventh week, with no negotiations scheduled. “They’re not negotiating at all,” Skip Longdon, unit president for Local 7139-5 and a member of the negotiating team, said Sept. 23.
“They are sticking to their last and final offer.” Longdon was one of about 200 people who were protesting outside ATI’s Allegheny Ludlum plate mill in Canton Township, southwest of Pittsburgh, where workers have been locked out since Aug. 15. The company’s demands include switching workers’ health care to a high-deductible plan and greatly expanding the amount of work done by nonunion outside contractors. “We don’t want to lose what we had,” said ATI employee Jodi McNurlen. “They won’t promise us hours.” Read more
