United Steelworkers (USW) 105, Bettendorf, will join fellow union members from three other Arconic locations on Wednesday, May 27, in voting on a proposed three-year labor contract with the aluminum maker.
Local 105 has scheduled the ratification voting for 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in downtown Bettendorf, according to information from the union.
In addition to the Quad Cities union members, the proposed contract covers these Arconic locations: Lafayette Operations in Lafayette, Indiana; Tennessee Operations in Alcoa, Tennessee; and Massena Operations, USW Local 420, Massena, New York.
The USW’s bargaining committee is recommending union members approve the tentative agreement.
The ratification votes will come more than a week after the union’s bargaining committee reached a tentative agreement with the Pittsburgh-based manufacturer. The deal, reached Saturday, May 16, came the day the current four-year contract was originally set to expire. It had been extended as negotiations continued.
The USW last ratified a contract with Arconic in June of 2022. That contract represented about 3,400 union workers at the four plants.
After reaching the tentative agreement, the USW posted an agreement summary on its website, addressing it to its union sisters and brothers. Among the signees were USW Chair Emil Martinez, other national and district union officials, and the locals’ representatives including Amber Hartford of Local 105, Bettendorf.
“Let’s be clear – this round of bargaining was difficult,” the union leaders said in the summary. “Unlike the company, we weren’t just looking at numbers on a page — we were weighing the real-life impact on us and our families. Every detail mattered, and we treated it that way.”
Agreement summary
Key issues in the latest contract negotiations included wages, health care and retirement.
The QCBJ reached out to Arconic for comment on the negotiations and impending ratification vote but did not receive a reply.
On Thursday, May 20, Local 105 updated members on the agreement’s details during informational meetings held at the union hall on Devil’s Glen Road.
The union leaders’ message continued: “This fight was bigger than just this contract. It was about protecting the future for every member, every family, and the generations that came before us and those that will come after us. It was about seeking solutions to challenges that were beyond our control and were the results of decisions this company has made over the last few years.”
Some of the summary highlights include:
- A contract term beginning May 16, 2026, through noon on June 15, 2029.
- Hourly rates for all job grades will increase by 5%, 4% and 4%, in May of 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively. The average cumulative increase is $4.91 per hour, or 13.6%.
- The union secured no changes to employee premium contributions, co-pays, deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and coinsurance for Medical/Prescription Drug, Dental and Vision plans.
The USW letter also was critical of Arconic’s transparency during negotiations and of Arconic’s parent company Apollo Funds. “We may be ultimately owned by Apollo, but Arconic doesn’t have Apollo money, and we were reminded of this every day.”
Fought for healthcare
On the issue of health care, they wrote “Arconic came in with an agenda to gut our health care plan from top to bottom.” Arconic wanted to increase employee premiums by 67% for single employees and 255% for families over the life of the contract – with power to increase costs mid-term.
“They cited how expensive health care has become and argued that cost will continue to rise. We have fought for generations to build and protect one of the best health care plans around. Through strong negotiations, we have secured a plan that is far better than the salary plan,” the USW said.
Members will not receive a ratification bonus – as they have in past contracts – because “the committee negotiated for all money to go to wage increases,” the USW said.
