Armed with signs calling for a fair contract, better wages and an end to a two-tier wage system for recently hired workers, about 80 steelworkers at Latrobe Specialty Metals on Thursday lined the street outside the plant's main gate in Latrobe to voice what they want in a new labor pact.
The members of United Steelworkers Local 1537, which represents about 500 employees at the plant, want a contact that does not cut benefits, said Ken McClain of Greensburg, a 28-year steelworker who took part in the informational picket.
The union's three-year agreement with the plant's owner, Carpenter Technology Corp. of Wyomissing, expires July 31. The union and company have been in negotiations since June, the steelworkers said.David Opsitnick, president of USW Local 1537, was involved in negotiations Thursday with the company's representatives and could not be reached for comment. Union officials were scheduled to meet with membership on Thursday.
William J. “Bucky” Rudolph Jr., a spokesman for Carpenter Technology, could not be reached for comment.
Kevin Caruso, a former president of USW Local 1537, said the union's negotiating committee told members that Carpenter Technology is offering only a small wage hike and wants changes in the medical benefits and pension.
“We work hard for the company's success every day. All we ask for is a fair contract,” Caruso stated.
Carpenter Technology, which posted a net income of $11.3 million in fiscal year 2016, purchased the plant in June 2011 in a deal worth about $558 million. The company makes products used in the aerospace and defense industries.
The negotiations are occurring at a time when the plant is busy, with most of the departments working six and seven days a week, Caruso said.
Union officials have not asked membership to vote on a strike authorization, Caruso said.
Steelworkers at the plant were off the job for 81 days in 2008 in a bitter contract dispute with the previous ownership. They returned to work under the terms of a five-year labor pact, which was narrowly approved in a 159-150 vote.
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.
