ALTON - There have been some tough days for steelworkers in America, but for Alton Steel and United Steelworkers of America Local 3643 Monday was a good day.
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United Steelworkers of America Local 3643 President Terry Wooden said the membership voted in majority fashion to approve a three-year agreement on Saturday.
The contract went into effect on Monday, Oct. 1.
“The wage increase is for 65 cents an hour for employees in 2018 and three percent raises in 2019 and 2020,” Wooden said. “Over that three-year term, that equates to 9.5 percent total increase in wages.”
Wooden also pointed out another key to the contract was the full healthcare for employees will remain at no cost to the employee.
A 25-cent differential for employees on afternoon/midnight shifts was also in the contract, Wooden said.
“Also each year of the anniversary date of the contract in 2018, 2019 and 2020, the company will increase the pension contract 10 cents an hour each year,” he said.
An additional holiday was added to the contract - Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Wooden said he believes the steel industry has turned the corner after the tariffs were instituted and even before the tariffs, he said the industry was staring to pickup.
“The company recognized that employees have made sacrifices,” he said. “I would call the terms very good of this agreement. It was ratified at Julia’s Banquet Center in East Alton on Saturday.”
U.S. Steel is part of Local 1899 and is not affiliated with this union, Wooden said.
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