Jul. 3—Specialty steelmaker Allegheny Technologies Inc. reached a tentative contract Friday with its striking steelworkers, which could end a walkout that began March 30, if ratified by those on strike.
The tentative contract with the United Steelworkers and the 1,300 ATI employees at nine plants was reached after three days of continuous negotiations, according to ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie. The agreement would be retroactive to March 1 and expire Feb. 28, 2025, Gillespie said.
The new contract would cover USW members at ATI plants in Harrison, Vandergrift, Derry Township and Washington, in addition to four out-of-state plants.
The USW and ATI were able to reach an agreement on health care insurance, which had been a sticking point in negotiations. ATI had said it could not reach an agreement without addressing health care costs. A federal mediator was involved in the contract negotiations.
Details of the tentative pact were not revealed late Friday.
"We will provide more information in the coming days as the ratification and return to work process progresses," ATI said.
A spokesperson for the Pittsburgh-based USW could not be reached for comment late Friday night.
The USW late Friday night had not announced a date for voting on a contract ratification.
When the contract is ratified, ATI said in a statement that it would begin "begin an orderly return to work."
ATI said its focus had been on reaching an agreement with a cost structure that enables long-term stability for the employees, its customers and its business.
While the steelworkers have been on strike since March 30, Gillespie said the company kept its steel plants in production with a combination of salaried personnel and replacement workers to fulfill contracts to protect its business.
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252, jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter .