AK Steel ends 3-year lockout

USA: The IMF has welcomed the news from its affiliate, the United Steelworkers of America, that AK Steel is ending a three-year lockout of over 600 workers at its Mansfield, Ohio plant. The struggle began in September 1999 when the company, refusing the USWA's offer for workers to remain on the job during contract negotiations, locked out 620 union members and has run the mill with replacement workers ever since. Leo Gerard, USWA president, said it was "a tragedy that this company took three years to realize it needs the skilled and experienced work of our members to operate its Mansfield facility. The triumph for our members is that their solidarity ultimately brought about this return to work." The union will urge AK Steel to recall USWA members as rapidly as possible and expects an orderly return to work that "respects the rights of our members in the contract that they have accepted and ratified." In September of this year, USWA negotiators, in a good faith effort to end the lockout, accepted a comprehensive contract proposal from AK Steel. Although it was overwhelmingly ratified by union members, the company then refused to execute the agreement.