
Alcoa Corporation, the world’s sixth largest producer of aluminium with corporate headquarters in Pennsylvania, announced on Friday, May 4, 2018, that its Quebec smelter is ready to conduct mediated contract talks with the United Steelworkers union and has also notified provincial labour ministry about it.

Alcoa, with an annual production capacity of 430,000 tonnes, has been operating at reduced output capacity by union co-workers since January 11, 2018, as the company had locked out its 1,030 unionised workers on contract expiry.
Aluminium markets, on the other hand, were struggling for weeks when the United States slapped the Russian oligarch Oleg-Deripaska-owned UC Rusal with sanctions. However, the situation is now under control since when the US has extended the sanctions deadline to October 23, 2018. Aluminium prices, which had witnessed a seven-year high to US$2,718 per tonne on April 19 has come down to US$2,350 per tonne on Friday, May 4.
The Union Steelworkers now welcome a return to contract talks, a spokesperson said.
Earlier, they had rejected the company’s final contract offer because of the introduction of a new, member-funded pension plan for all workers and concessions on seniority rights, reported the workers.
However, now, Lucien Bouchard, lawyer and former politician, will set the date for the future negotiation, along with another mediator. He was appointed by Quebec on April 23 to mediate the contract talks.
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