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14 June, 2006
The United Steelworkers (USW) achieved new collective agreements at two DuPont chemical plants in recent weeks in the US. The separate contracts are long overdue and contain wage increases for USW members that have been denied to them for the past several years.
At a Louisville, state of Kentucky, fluorochemicals plant where 95 steelworkers are employed, a two-year agreement was put in place on 31 May. Workers there had been without a current agreement for the past four-and-a-half years. The accord calls for an immediate wage increase of 4%, while 3% was won effective in September 2006.
At a titanium dioxide plant in Edge Moor, state of Delaware, USW members agreed to a three-year contract with DuPont that will provide wage increases of 4%, 3% and 3%. Some 130 workers are covered by this new agreement, which also contains a minimum staffing requirement and removes DuPont’s waiver language on certain health care benefits.
At both locations, DuPont has attempted to unilaterally impose cuts to health care benefits, and has supported rival unions in efforts to overthrow USW as the official bargaining representative