More than 3,000 members of the United Steelworkers Union, including some in the Quad Cities, will vote Thursday on a new contract. Late last month the union and Arconic reached a tentative agreement.
The proposed contract affects 1,900 hourly workers at the Arconic plant in Riverdale.
Brad Greve, the president of Local 105, says the three year contract includes a wage hike each year of 3 1/2 per cent, plus a ratification bonus. And an important feature, he thinks, is protection for workers and the union if the company is sold.
"The company is talking about another split next year. We were more cconcerned about that than we were over the years with Alcoa. So that is a key piece - that we will represent if somebody buys it or they sell the company, we'll represent those employees and the contract will remain intact."
The cost of family health insurance will increase by a total of 8 dollars a week, over the life of the contract, and the pension plan will change for new hires.
He and other union leaders are recommending a "yes" vote.
Workers from the Quad Cities plant can vote Thursday at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf from 5 am until 7 pm. Ratification votes will also be held for Arconic workers in Tennessee, New York, and Indiana, with final results available by late Thursday night.
