Steelworkers OK Thomas pact

The workers won’t return to their jobs until Jan. 4.

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Steelworkers at Thomas Steel Strip approved a five-year contract Monday evening, ending a strike that began in July.

Mike Boyle, president of United Steelworkers of America Local 3253, said the contract was approved 182 votes to 49 votes.

Dennis Brubaker, a Steelworkers staff representative, said one main reason it passed was because the company abandoned an idea to “compress jobs” in a restructuring.

“That means they wanted to combine a bunch of jobs and have fewer job descriptions to get greater flexibility,” he said. “It was an issue with us.”

Boyle said the union compromised by taking a medical plan that is reduced from 100 percent coverage. Out-of-pocket expenses for a family are 10 percent of medical bills up to $2,000 a year, and for a single person, up to $1,000 a year.

Brubaker said the union agreed to a two-tier wage system in which new hires are paid $11.80 an hour. He said after six years they will reach parity on both wages and health coverage. Full-scale workers will be paid $17-plus an hour.

Under the two-tier system, new hires also pay more for health care. Their out-of-pocket costs are 20 percent of medical bills up to $4,000 or $2,000, Boyle said.

Brubaker said current and future retirees will not be overlooked.

Because the union agreed to the two-tier system, the company agreed to soften cuts it made in 2006 in medical benefits for current retirees, Boyle said.

He said those cuts were the main issue in the strike. Out-of-pocket expenses for retirees had been up to $10,000 and $5,000. They’re now up to $4,000 and $2,000.

Brubaker said the contract also offers employees a $4,500 signing bonus, a $3,000 bonus in 2009 and 2010 and hourly raises of 50 cents in 2011 and 2012.

He said he’s satisfied overall with the outcome of the contract.

“I think this membership sent a clear message when they voted last Monday to turn down the company’s proposal,” Brubaker said. “To turn that down before Christmas, to do what was right, sent a real message to the company. It’s clearly what we needed to reach this agreement so everyone can have peace and go back to work.”

He said the 260 workers who have been on strike since July will return to their jobs Jan. 4.

During the strike the plant continued to operate with replacement workers. Brubaker said to his knowledge only about four replacements still remain at the plant, and they will be sent home over the Christmas holiday.