Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new four-year master agreement that covers about 1,600 production and maintenance workers at five Alcoa facilities in the United States, including Massena.

The contract includes annual wage increases of more than 12 percent over the term of the agreement and maintains high-quality, affordable health care coverage, according to the press release from the union. The contract covers USW Local 420A at Massena, and unions representing Alcoa workers in Indiana, Arkansas, Texas and Washington state.

“This is a challenging time for these workers, with unfair trade and declining prices taking their toll on the U.S. aluminum industry,” said USW International President Thomas M. Conway said in a prepared statement. “Thanks to their strength and solidarity, they were able to achieve a fair agreement, one that makes sure they can continue to care for their families and also positions the company for future success.”

Bargaining stretched past the previous contract’s expiration date in May. As talks continued, workers voted to authorize the USW bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary, while they stayed on the job under the terms and conditions of the expired collective bargaining agreement, USW said in a news release.

“These hard-working union members contribute a tremendous amount to the company’s success, and they stood up and demanded a contract that recognized those contributions,” said USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap, who served as the chair of the union’s Alcoa bargaining committee. “This agreement is a victory for the workers and for the company.”

The new contract, which runs through May 15, 2023, is the first since Alcoa split into two companies in November 2016. Alcoa, which dates to 1888, retained its smelting and refining operations while spinning off a downstream products division now known as Arconic.

USW members ratified a new contract in July that covers about 3,000 workers at four Arconic facilities.