BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- United Steelworkers Local 420-A and Arconic officials have agreed to a new three-year contract. 

News of the contract broke on May 16 shortly after the union and Arconic, which includes more than 200 employees, agreed to extend the existing contract while bargaining went into the eleventh hour. 

According to union leaders, the tentative deal comes with the full recommendation of the committee and will include a 5% wage increase in the first year, with 4% increases built into each of the second and third years. 

The deal also includes no increases to healthcare premiums, a matter that was a major sticking point during negotiations. 

Further details are to follow and no official date for a ratification vote has been announced as of press time. 

The race to the finish to complete bargaining and extend the contract came just hours after union members unanimously approved a strike last week. 

At the time, bargaining committee members said negotiations were "not going very well," noting many proposals were shared back and forth but they had "nothing to really show for it." 

The tactic was a similar one employed when the two sides met to bargaining for the last contract, something union leaders said in messages to members. 

The inclusion of wage increases was an about face by Arconic officials as they previously suggested lump sum increases and insurance premium increases across the board. 

The more than 200 workers employed at the Massena facility will continue to work under the extension of the previous contract. 

Last week, union leaders said the proposals set forth by Arconic "attacked seniority" offered "no job security" and included "no movement on retirement security," which has been a major sticking point in recent negotiations. 

Now, with a tentative deal in hand both sides say they hope to have the matter resolved sometime this week. 

Alcoa

As for Alcoa, which includes more than 400 employees, a tentative agreement between the union and the aluminum giant was shot down by membership last week. 

“USW Local 420-A rejected the Tentative Contract Proposal. More details as they become available. Please continue to report for your scheduled shifts unless you are told otherwise. Solidarity Brothers & Sisters,” union leaders said in a post shortly after the vote was finalized. 

They told union members Alcoa officials were notified of the "no" vote, at which time Alcoa leaders agreed to come back to the bargaining table. 

“Alcoa has been notified the tentative agreement was voted down by our membership. Alcoa is agreeable to go back to the bargaining table to try and resolve the concerns of our membership on the tentative agreement,” Bargaining Committee members wrote. 

Negotiations are expected to begin again during the first week of June. 

"If we cannot resolve the issues, we will take our next steps. We have agreed to a 30-day extension to protect all terms of the agreements while we try to resolve the issues," bargaining committee members wrote.  

Help St. Lawrence County Stay Connected!

We’re glad you read this article reported by the staff of NorthCountryNow.com.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider subscribing to ensure you have full access to all the news and info about St. Lawrence County.

Your subscriptions make it possible for us to provide trustworthy local news, promote our many community events, and encourage community dialogue.

Please click here to subscribe today!