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USWA Announces Further Talks Scheduled In Kaiser Aluminum Lockout

10 April 2000

United Steelworkers of America Announces Further Talks Scheduled In Kaiser Aluminum Lockout

    CHICAGO, April 7 The United Steelworkers of America (USWA)
today announced that negotiations with Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical
Corporation have once again adjourned without reaching agreement.
    Further talks have been scheduled for April 17-18, 2000.  During the last
two days of discussions, Kaiser presented a reworked proposal.  David Foster,
Chairman of the Union's Negotiating Committee, described the proposal as "a
step backward."  Foster went on to say that, "Kaiser reneged on a number of
issues that we thought had been settled in our earlier discussions over the
last two months.  In addition, we remain far apart on the critical issues of
contracting- out and retiree health insurance."
    Foster also said that the Union would be reviewing the entire Kaiser
proposal with its local union committees in preparing a response.
    USWA members struck Kaiser Aluminum in response to the company's unfair
labor practices and substandard contract offer on September 30, 1998, and
offered to return to work on January 13, 1999.  On January 14, 1999, the
company locked out over 2,900 USWA members at its plants in Gramercy,
Louisiana, Newark, Ohio, and Tacoma and Spokane, Washington.
    For more information, contact David Foster at 612-623-8045 or Jon
Youngdahl at 253-351-0511.
    Web site:  http://www.uswa.org