U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb visits striking ATI steelworkers, calls for federal health insurance help

U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb visited Friday morning with striking steelworkers from Allegheny Technologies at their union hall in Brackenridge and on the picket lines in Harrison, then later lobbied to get striking workers health care benefits.

The Democrat from Mt. Lebanon said he came to the Alle-­Kiski Valley to support the members of the United Steelworkers, who began a strike at ATI on Tuesday.

“I’m here today to … let them know that we’re standing with them, we honor and respect their right to go on strike,” Lamb said. “There’s not a single one of them that wants to be on strike. They want to be at work, but they want to be treated fairly.”

Lamb chairs the Congressional Steel Caucus, which consists of members of both parties from different parts of the country where steel is made. He said it meets regularly to try to help U.S. manufacturers compete against foreign companies.

Lamb said U.S. steel company executives often ask for government help in the form of tariffs and spending on infrastructure and military equipment.

“The steel industry comes to the government seeking a lot of protection and a lot of help and a lot of partnership, which I agree with, and I’m always happy to support the industry,” Lamb said. “But they need to treat their workers right. I can tell that these workers do not feel respected right now. It’s incumbent on the company to get to the table, respect the legal rights and demands of these workers and begin a negotiation.”

Lamb was joined by state Reps. Dan Miller, Jessica Benham and Nick Pisciottano, as well as Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council and a Pittsburgh firefighter.

ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie said the company has reached out to the union multiple times since making a proposal Monday, but the union had not yet responded with a counterproposal.

“We remain available to negotiate with the USW to reach a competitive agreement that both rewards our hardworking employees and positions our company for success in this challenging business environment,” she said. “We believe our latest offer — with wage increases and continued excellent, affordable health care — makes it clear that ATI is committed to resolving this work stoppage.”

In its last bargaining update, the USW accused ATI of lying.

“The chief negotiators have had multiple conversations and discussions since the strike began, and for the ATI website to say otherwise is more than disingenuous,” the union bulletin reads. “During those discussions, management’s position has remain unchanged, and … management’s last response to the union was they would get back to us.”

The USW says that while ATI has improved its wage offer slightly, it wants workers to accept expensive changes to health care, among other concessions. The workers have not had a pay increase since 2014.

“The company’s health care concessions diminish the value of any wage increase or signing bonus,” the union states.

Aaron Heney of Parks Township has worked in the melt shop since 2007.

“ATI is being unreasonable with its wants and demands,” she said. “We’re not asking for anything but fairness. If the company was fair, we’d all be working.”

Lamb’s COBRA pitch

Lamb later announced in a statement that he is calling on federal officials to have the government pay for striking workers’ health care coverage.

Lamb said in his statement that he sent a letter to Labor Department Secretary Martin Walsh and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, “calling on them to protect the health care of workers who strike during negotiations for a fair contract.”

“Those workers should not have their health care — for themselves and their families – put in jeopardy during a strike,” Lamb said. “The American Rescue Plan offers workers protections, and we need the Administration to ensure those protections are put in place immediately.”

The American Rescue Plan, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, makes it possible for workers and their families to be protected by creating a full subsidy for COBRA health coverage through Sept. 30 .

According to Lamb, a person who was covered by a group health plan on the day before the occurrence of a qualifying event such as a termination of employment or a reduction in hours that causes loss of coverage under the plan are able to elect COBRA coverage.

The American Rescue Plan would pay 100% of the cost for that coverage.

Lamb said that, in the case of striking workers, though, the Departments of Labor and Treasury must must affirm that striking employees are eligible for the full 100% COBRA subsidy.