Kaiser Arbitrator To Deliver Decision Monday

A two-year labor dispute at Kaiser Aluminum could be ending as soon as Monday.

KREM 2 news

An arbitrator is expected to release a final contract Monday that will end a two-year-long labor dispute between Kaiser Aluminum and the United Steelworkers of America.

Seymour Strongin, a Washington, DC, labor expert will release the master contract as part of an arbitrated settlement. He headed a five-member panel that chose either the company's or the union's proposals on a number of sticking points, including, wages, benefits and job resturcturing.

The company and the union for locked-out workers have agreed to abide by the decision of arbitrators. The dispute affects about 2,000 workers at the Kaiser plants in Mead and Trentwood, as well as several hundred workers across the state at a Tacoma facility.

Under the terms of the Interest Arbitration Agreement that both Kaiser officials and the steelworkers agreed to, an arbitrator is scheduled to make a final ruling on the dispute Friday. Previously agreed-upon return to work measures will commence on September 15 with union members returning to their jobs at all facilities within 35 days.

On Sept. 30, 1998, steelworkers went on strike at five Kaiser Aluminum plants including the two in Spokane, one in Tacoma, as well as two other plants in Gramercy, LA. and Newark, OH. The steelworkers offered to go back to work in early 1999, but were subsequently locked out.