Kaiser Talks Yield Little Progress Discussions To Continue, But No Date Was Set For Next Session
Chief negotiators for Kaiser Aluminum and the Steelworkers Union met in Minneapolis Friday to talk about restarting negotiations, but didn’t accomplish much.
Terse statements from both sides described the informal proceedings.
“The purpose of the meeting was to open communications, explore several bargaining issues and approaches to starting up talks,” said Steelworker representative David Foster.
According to Kaiser representatives, the discussion Friday involved a “tentative review of several areas of disagreement.”
Since the union rejected Kaiser’s contract proposals Sept. 30, 3,000 workers at five plants, including 2,100 at Mead and Trentwood in Spokane, have been on strike.
Though Friday’s meeting in Minnesota lasted several hours, Kaiser’s David Pryzbylski and the union’s Foster did not reach an agreement on a return to contract talks. Both said they would plan to meet again, but did not specify when.
Both parties agreed to keep the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service apprised of their meetings. However, no date is scheduled for a mediator to intervene.
Meanwhile, company chairman and CEO George Haymaker told Reuter’s news service Friday that that Kaiser would decide on restarting its idled capacity only after the strike is over.
Ray Milchovich, Kaiser president and chief operating officer, had said earlier this week that operations at the Mead and Tacoma smelters were running smoothly enough to consider restarting three potlines, including two at Mead. Crews had been “tapping out” or shutting down the potlines when the 10-day strike began.
Kaiser continues to operate its plants with the help of more than 1,150 temporary workers. The company says it continues to ship products to customers as scheduled.
Today, Kaiser Trentwood hourly workers will apply for unemployment insurance through instructional sessions at the Carpenters Hall on Mission. It’s still not certain whether they will qualify for the program.