In Pennsylvania, a Steel Mill and Its Workers at a Crossroads
For the past three and a half months, workers at a Allegheny Technologies have been locked out after the workers' union, the United Steelworkers, refused to accept concessions proposed by the company. The lockout, which began on August 15th, is at 12 of the company's plants and has affected approximately 2,200 workers. Allegheny proposed these concessions in an effort to compete with both domestic and Chinese based competitors. Allegheny would like to reduce benefits for future hires through a two-tier wage system, require employees to contribute $2,000 a year for health coverage and implement a four-year wage freeze.
See "In Pennsylvania, a Steel Mill and Its Workers at a Crossroads", Steven Greenhouse, December 4, 2015