Kaiser dispute nears end

Company and union give proposals to chief arbitrator

Hannelore Sudermann - Staff writer

The binding arbitration process to end the two-year labor dispute between Kaiser Aluminum and the United Steelworkers Union continued this week, though the return to work for locked-out workers may not occur until next month.

On Thursday, as scheduled, the two sides sent their final position briefs and contract arguments to impartial arbitrator Seymour Strongin.

Though official sources have not discussed how many unresolved contract issues were subject to binding arbitration, word among the rank-and-file Kaiser workers is that six of the 12 original areas of disagreement remain. They include wages and retirement, successorship and retiree health care.

But neither the company nor the union would confirm that.

"We don't know what all was taken off the table," said Wes Beck, president of the Trentwood local. He said the union did not want to compromise Strongin's work.

The company had a similar reply.

Now Strongin, of Washington, D.C., has until Sept. 18 to review the briefs from Kaiser and the union and produce the final agreement, which both sides have promised to sign.

Strongin's deadline was extended from Sept. 15 to give him more time, the union said.

While the contract should be completed this month, the Steelworkers likely will not return to their jobs until October, said Kaiser spokeswoman Susan Ashe. Earlier scenarios suggested a return to work by most this month.

Some Steelworkers said they have heard that the company is preparing a retraining program to familiarize the workers again with the machinery and company procedures.

The labor dispute began Sept. 30, 1998, idling 2,900 Steelworkers at five Kaiser plants, including more than 2,000 at Mead and Trentwood. The strike became a lockout Jan. 14, 1999.