News From USW: USW and Century Aluminum of West Virginia, Inc. Has Reached a Tentative Agreement That Will Be Taken Back to the Membership with Recommendation by the USW.

RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. -- News From USW: In a last ditch effort by the United Steelworkers (USW) and Century Aluminum of West Virginia, Inc. to reach an agreement while faced with a strike at midnight tonight, the parties bargained to a tentative agreement that is endorsed by the USW.

The parties had returned to the bargaining table over the weekend on Sunday after the union had submitted the required 72 - hour strike notice to Century Aluminum on Saturday morning, after the membership had rejected the company's 'Last, Best and Final Offer' on Friday by a vote of 299 to 218. Unfortunately, talks broke off on Sunday evening with little hope in sight for what appeared to be headed toward a work stoppage.

Chief Union Negotiator Tim Dean, accompanied at the bargaining table by Ernest R. "Billy" Thompson, Director for USW District 8, stated that while he had hoped to remain optimistic for the membership, their families and the community, he had basically given up hope of reaching any type of a tentative agreement with Century Aluminum.

Dean said, "While certainly the union did not obtain all of the issues that we brought to the bargaining table, which involved restructuring of the company's last offer in order to reach a tentative agreement, I'm hopeful the membership will have a full understanding of what this negotiating committee has been able to achieve during this bargaining process on their behalf." Dean further commented, "In every single contract negotiations that I have been in for the past eight years, health care and the significant costs associated with it have been the single most difficult economic issue to bargain."

Dean added, "As inflation in health care continues to escalate on a yearly basis in the double-digit figures, more and more employers are looking to pass either all or a significant amount of these increases on to the employees. While we don't like the concept of cost neutral bargaining on our members' behalf, we must be extremely cautious that the wage increases are not going to be eaten up by the increased contributions."

Fortunately for the membership at Century Aluminum, this negotiating committee got the assistance of Director Thompson and achieved items through the company's willingness to restructure its final offer.

Dean stated that the union is not at liberty to discuss the details of the tentative agreement until they are presented to the rank and file during the informational meetings which will be conducted on Thursday, August 3rd at the Local 5668 Union Hall. He is optimistic that the membership will ratify this agreement.

The ratification vote will be conducted at the plant gates of Century Aluminum throughout the following day on Friday. Ratification results will be announced early Saturday morning.