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Armco's Butler Operations and BAIU Receive Award

9 September 1999

Armco's Butler Operations and BAIU Receive 'Governor's Labor-Management Cooperation Award'

    BUTLER, Pa., Sept. 9 -- Armco Inc.'s Butler
Operations and the Butler Armco Independent Union (BAIU) were awarded the 1999
Pennsylvania "Governor's Award for Labor-Management Cooperation."
    Presentation of the prestigious award was made by Pennsylvania Lieutenant
Governor Mark Schweiker to Armco and BAIU representatives during the statewide
Labor-Management Conference in Hershey.
    The Governor's Award recognizes the best labor-management cooperation
practices in the state and is presented to organizations which have achieved
or promoted economic success through partnering with the workers of
Pennsylvania.
    On behalf of Gov. Tom Ridge, Labor and Industry Secretary Johnny J. Butler
said "Armco -- Butler Operations and the BAIU are prime examples of the good
things that can happen when employers and employees work together.
Productivity and sales go up, injuries and costs go down, employees become a
major part of the team... and everybody wins."
    Terry L. BeCraft, General Manager of Armco's Butler Operations, noted "The
spirit of cooperation between labor and management is the reason that Butler
Operations has become a world leader in the manufacture of specialty
flat-rolled steels.  This facility excels in all facets of operation -- from
safety to quality to customer value -- because we work together as a team."
    Carl V. Nanni, President of the BAIU, added "The union is a strong
advocate for its members, but we also share a common goal with management of
driving to make Butler Operations the highest quality, lowest cost producer of
specialty steels.  Everything we do is aimed at being the most customer
responsive workforce possible."
    BeCraft and Nanni said that labor-management cooperation at Butler
Operations has resulted in important overall achievements in key areas,
including:  Safety -- received Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Safety
Excellence as well as the Award of Honor and Outstanding Achievement Award
from the National Safety Council; Quality -- achieved QS-9000 and ISO9002
certification, and Ford Q1 recognition; Customer Value -- top supplier awards
received from a number of key customers as well as recognition by several
industry trade publications as the best of the best.
    Butler Operations and the BAIU, one of 13 award winners statewide, were
nominated by the New Castle Area Labor-Management Committee (NCALMC).  The
NCALMC includes Butler County in its area of service.
    Armco -- Butler Operations is a world class producer of specialty
flat-rolled steels with 2,500 employees.  The BAIU represents approximately
2,000 hourly employees at the plant.
    Armco Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, is the largest domestic supplier
of stainless steels to the automotive industry and the largest and only
full-line domestic supplier of electrical steels used in power generation,
transmission and distribution, motors and other electrical equipment.  In
addition to the Butler, Pennsylvania operation, Armco has specialty
flat-rolled steel facilities in Coshocton, Dover, Mansfield and Zanesville,
Ohio.  Armco also produces snow and ice control products, standard pipe and
tubular products and operates a major industrial park on the Houston, Texas
ship channel.