What is collective bargaining?Collective bargaining is the legal process for reaching an agreement between a labor union and an employer over the terms and conditions of employment, such as wages, hours of work, paid time off, benefits, employment security and protec-tions against unfair treatment or discharge. Collective bargaining usually results in a written agreement or contract which out-lines the terms and conditions of employ-ment, continues for a specified term and is subject to renegotiation at the end of the agreed-to term.

The union and company have many mutual interests: both want the company to prosper and grow. But the union and company have potentially differing views over such issues as economic improve-ments, job security, and efficiency and cost reductions. Collective bargaining is the process for balancing and resolving these potential differences.

When does our contract expire?The contracts between our union and Al-coa at Warrick, Massena and Wenatchee expire at 12:00 noon, or at the end of the shift starting before noon, whichever is later, May 15, 2019. The contracts at Point Comfort and Gum Springs expire at 12:00 midnight, or the end of the shift starting before midnight, whichever is later, May 15, 2019.

What units and employees are covered by these negotiations?The negotiations with Alcoa cover more than 1,600 Steelworkers in production and maintenance units from 5 local unions across the country: Local 104 at Warrick, Indiana; Local 420 at Massena, New York; Local 5073 at Gum Springs, Arkansas; Local 4370 at Point Comfort, Texas; and Local 310A and the Aluminum Trades Council at Wenatchee, Washington.

Additionally, Alcoa has locked out 1,030 members of USW Local 9700 at the alumi-num smelter in Bécancour, Quebec since January 11, 2018. The contract covering 40 Steelworkers who work at Alcoa at Lake Charles, LA expires on August 1, 2019.

How do we get a good contract with Alcoa?As with any employer, it is the union that demands a fair contract that addresses the needs of its members. The company is not going to “give” us anything. It nev-er has, and it never will. In order to reach a fair contract, we must be prepared to build and use our bargaining power.

What is bargaining power and how do we build it?Bargaining power is the ability of the union to achieve its bargaining goals in the face of opposition from the employer. It comes from our solidarity – our determination and willingness to stick together to obtain our goals.

Building and displaying our unity improves our ability to have our issues addressed in the negotiating process, and it is a deci-sive factor in shaping the final agreement. Building our local union and acting togeth-er lead to greater bargaining power. By using a Communication & Action Team (CAT), each local union can keep mem-bers informed and organized, and that will put the union in a stronger position. Sharing information and taking part in actions can send a message that we are not satisfied with the company’s proposals and will fight for a fair contract.

Management will see that members at Alcoa are united, that everyone is getting information from the bargaining table, and that workers across the country are sup-porting the negotiating team.

What kinds of proposals are discussed in negotiations?The parties can discuss any issue affecting the workplace. Generally, contract pro-posals fall into one of two categories:(1) economic proposals, and(2) non-economic items

Proposals may have both economic and non-economic aspects. Some proposals are easy for both sides to agree on and others are tougher and take longer for both sides to find common ground. Neither the company nor the union will get 100 percent of what it puts on the table, but if

management knows that our membership is unified, we will be more likely to reach a fair contract.

Issues over plant or unit-specific items will be discussed and resolved by local union and management representatives who are familiar with the details. These are of-ten referred to as “local issue negotiations” and are covered under your local con-tract supplement. Talks to address these issues generally take place before master agreement talks start in Pittsburgh. Any local issues which are unresolved will be handled by local bargainers in Pittsburgh.

When do negotiations begin and how do they work?The union and company will meet to kick off bargaining this spring. Proposals are drafted and discussed by both sides. Information is requested and exchanged. Some complicated issues are referred to subcommittees for greater discussion, such as benefits, contract language, safety and health, and office and technical issues. Both sides caucus (meet separately), make counter proposals, test out ideas, look for ways to bridge differences and find com-mon ground.

The goal is to reach an agreement that can be submitted to union members for their approval.

How can I find out what’s happening at the bargaining table?We will be distributing bargaining updates through each local union’s CAT and also posting updates to the web from Pitts-burgh. You can sign up to receive text message updates on your cell phone if you want the latest news from the bargaining table. To sign up for updates, send the text message “Alcoa” to 47486. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out any time by texting “stop” to 47486.

Do members get to vote on a tentative agreement?Employees of Alcoa who are in the cov-ered units and union members in good standing may vote to ratify or reject a ten-tative agreement. A detailed summary of any tentative agreement is distributed and

members have an opportunity to meet with their bargaining committee members before voting. The USW bargaining com-mittee may make a recommendation regarding a proposed agreement.

What happens if we don’t finish negotiations before the contract expiration date?If the company and the union have not reached an agreement by the expiration date, we may negotiate a contract exten-sion. Without a formal contract extension, we can also continue to work under our existing terms and conditions. We may opt to strike (after receiving a strike authoriza-tion from the membership), or the company may impose a lockout.

Without an agreed-upon extension, the terms and conditions remain the same even after contract expiration.

This is true as long as there is no lawful impasse, which only occurs when neither side is willing to budge from its bargaining position.

Local union leaders will keep members up to date during this process as we all work together to win a fair contract.