Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Condemns Allegheny Technologies Inc. for locking out its workers, members of the USW, and is helping mobilize labor and community support for a fair contract
HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder, on behalf of over 800,000 union workers in Pennsylvania, today joined the United Steelworkers in condemning Allegheny Technologies Inc., (ATI) for locking out over 2,200 Steelworkers at 12 sites across the country and at five facilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
President Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Snyder participated in a rally this morning at the Midland facility where hundreds of members of USW Local 1212 and members of the Beaver-Lawrence Central Labor Council demonstrated their unity in condemning the lockout and resolving to continue fighting until the workers are back on the job with a fair contract.
"Allegheny Technologies received over $8 million in tax breaks, grants, and low interest loans from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and now they are breaking their promise to their workers and to the taxpayers. This lockout is not only an attack on good middle class jobs, it betrays the promises made by this corporation to our communities. The entire labor movement, along with our friends and supporters, will continue standing side by side with these workers and their families. We will stand and give them our full support until they are back at work with a fair contract. We will do whatever it takes in putting pressure on ATI to convince them that union busting and greed is bad for business," Bloomingdale said.
"Lockouts, by definition, are planned and intentional attacks on workers who truly want to work. And, the fact that ATI would threaten to bring cowardly scabs to steal their jobs, speaks to this company's unwillingness to bargain in good faith. Make no mistake that workers in every employment sector are facing the same kinds of outrageous attacks. Pensions, healthcare, working conditions are being eradicated by corporate greed all across the land, and it must stop. It will stop, by union members, progressive lawmakers, and community activists standing shoulder to shoulder, in solidarity, last one day longer than the twisted robber barons of this generation," Snyder said.
SOURCE Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
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