Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
STEELWORKERS RALLY FOR NEW CONTRACT
Contract for union workers at ArcelorMittal set to expire Saturday night
COATESVILLE » Around 60 steelworkers at the ArcelorMittal plant in the city rallied with family, friends, retired steelworkers and community members outside the plate mill on Lincoln Highway Thursday afternoon as part of a national day of action to call for a fair contract for steelworkers.
Steelworkers stood on the sidewalk holding signs with slogans such as: “Steel strong,” “Fair contract now,” and “Jobs worth fighting for,” as many motorists drove by and honked their horns to show support.
The contract for the workers at the ArcelorMittal plant, who are represented by the United Steelworkers (USW) labor union, is set to expire after midnight this Saturday. Union workers are seeking a new three-year contract and calling for pay raises and affordable health care.
It’s been several years since the workers had a pay raise, said Vonie Long, a maintenance tech electrician who’s worked at the steel mill for almost 24 years, and also serves as president of the USW Amalgamated Local 1165 chapter, which represents workers in Chester County.
He said the expiration of the contract is approaching, but union members have been get-
ting feedback from the bargaining committee, who is in talks with ArcelorMittal.
“We want a fair contract to help to continue to support our families,” Long said.
Reinvestment in the facility is also important, he said.
“We want these jobs here for our children,” Long said. “We do important work here.”
The mill in Coatesville produces alloy for military vehicles, bridge plate, and steel structures for skyscrapers in cities such as Manhattan, he said.
Kyhil Raison, of Valley, who’s worked at the steel mill for 10 years as a conductor, said he came to the rally to fight for fair wages.
He noted the steel mill is not an easy place to work at, with handling chemicals, working swing shifts, and the danger of the job itself, and workers deserve a fair wage as the cost of living increases.
Skip Lowe, who worked at the steel mill for almost 30 years as a millwright but is now retired, and his wife Lisa attended the rally to show support for their son, Dan, who’s currently an electrician at the steel mill. Skip Lowe said his father and grandfather also worked at the steel mill, which makes his son a fourth-generation worker there.
“We’ve got to keep these good jobs here; we can’t let them go away like everywhere else,” Skip Lowe said. “That’s why we’re out here fighting.”
If a new contract is not reached by the deadline Saturday night, union members will take direction from the bargaining team, Long said. The union could decide to have workers continue to work under an expired contract or call for workers to strike if the deadline passes. “All options are on the table,” Long said.