Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sent a letter to Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld asking the company to re-examine its plan to cut work in the company’s smelting operations in Massena.

Cuomo said the company is not being a “good corporate citizen” in cutting operations and cutting the workforce at Alcoa-Massena by 487 jobs after the state has made its best effort to keep the operations profitable.

“The recent announcement that Alcoa was closing operations in Massena was, quite frankly, shocking,” the governor wrote. “For years, New York State has gone to great lengths to keep Alcoa's operations running in Massena. More specifically, we have given tens of millions of dollars in benefits annually over the past several years - doing everything we can to ensure that hundreds of people - many of whom have devoted their working lives to the company - could keep their jobs and livelihoods intact.

“It is time for Alcoa to prove that it is a good corporate citizen and do the right thing: commit to continuing its smelting operations in Massena.”

Cuomo made note of the fact that the company’s Alcoa's ability to compete in global marketplace has been “challenging, the State has responded accordingly through generous energy subsidies and other benefits allowing the company to save tens of millions of dollars annually. What is particularly

troubling is the fact that this latest closure announcement comes on the heels of a recently renegotiated deal - the third such deal in five years.”

Cuomo made note of recent comments by the president of Alcoa’s U.S. smelting operations that company is committed to Massena and has a vested interest in the success of the community.

“Yet, on Nov. 2, you said you would permanently shutter Massena East and curtail the smelter at Massena West, throwing hundreds people out of work in a region where well-paying, skilled jobs are desperately needed and where the community relies on your economic impact to operate things like public schools and the local government.

“The State's extremely generous incentives provided to Alcoa have been a one-of-a-kind opportunity to transform what you do in Massena and build a vibrant plant that will be at once profitable and competitive. New York has invested in Alcoa - and it is time that Alcoa held up its responsibility to Massena. There is still time for that to happen,” Cuomo said in the letter.