United Steelworkers and ATI have reportedly reached a tentative contract agreement.
The USW announced the development Tuesday evening via a text to its members.
ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie confirmed a tentative agreement was reached for a six-year labor agreement. She did not have specific information regarding the contract. She said USW is responsible for scheduling the ratification vote.
Phone calls to Local 1196 in Brackenridge were not returned and nobody answered when a reporter knocked on the hall’s door.
The former contract, which the union and company continue to operate under, expired Feb. 28 but was extended through April 30 while negotiations continued. Members of USW voted the last tentative agreement down in March by an unknown margin.
Union members previously told TribLive it’s time for wages to get back on track with industry standards.
According to USW labor grades and job descriptions shown to TribLive, base wages for ATI employees lag behind Cleveland Cliffs, a specialty steelmaker with a large plant near Butler, and U.S. Steel.
At Cleveland Cliffs, an operating or maintenance technician, or Labor Grade 4, earns $34.42 per hour. That’s about 21% more than the same level ATI employee, who makes $28.40.
The six-year deal would impact 1,000 workers at ATI mills and operations in Harrison; Vandergrift; Latrobe; Washington, Pa.; and Lockport, N.Y.
ATI is among the Alle-Kiski Valley’s largest employers. In January, it reported $1.2 billion in sales for the fourth quarter of 2024. Full-year sales were $4.4 billion.
