Economy

USW Says No Vote on ATI Proposal
Written by Sandy Williams
July 28, 2015
The USW bargaining committee from Allegheny Technologies Inc. declined to bring the company’s latest contract proposal to a vote.
The contract presented to the union on July 24 “shows some measurable improvements on some issues but falls far short of a fair or acceptable offer on key issues including healthcare, retirement security, and scheduling.”
The proposed contract contains what the union refers to as “dramatic and unnecessary” cuts. Among the issues in contention are:
– Health care premiums of $215/month with a $1000/year deductible and $6000/per year out of pocket maximum
– New employees hired after July 1, 2015 would be covered under a health plan with a $3000 deductible and $6,850 out of pocket maximum.
– Hours of work adjustments
– Increases ATI’s right to hire outside contractors for maintenance work
ATI CEO Rich Harshman noted in the company conference call that labor costs were too high to ignore. “Our total hourly employment costs are significantly higher than those of the major U.S. located flat rolled stainless competitors, a competitive gap that we must address for this business to be successful and create sustainable value for our shareholder an customers, and opportunities for our employees.”
ATI is currently working under the terms of the old agreement that expired on June 30, 2015.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Economy

Architecture billings continue to slide in March
Architecture firms said billings continued to decline in March, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) released by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek.

Beige Book shows concerns about trade policy
Manufacturing was mixed, but two-thirds of districts said activity was little changed or had declined.

New York state manufacturing index drops again in April
Firms were pessimistic, with the future general business conditions index falling to its second lowest reading in the more than 20-year history of the survey

Construction adds 13,000 jobs in March
The construction sector added 13,000 jobs, seasonally adjusted, in March, but tariffs could undermine the industry.

Supply chains, end-users brace for impact from tariffs
Supply chains are working through what the tariffs mean for them