U.S. Steel Locks Out Nearly A Thousand Workers because They’re Resisting Pension Cuts

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/Channels/Story.aspx?ID=1308495

11/09/10

U.S. Steel is in a showdown with workers regarding contract demands. Jesse Russell reports:

US Steel has locked out nearly 1000 workers in Hamilton, Ontario. The workers have been trying to reach an agreement with the company since their contract expired in July of 2010. After the union rejected a recent contract offer and made a counter offer to the company U.S. Steel chose to lock the workers out. The company wants the new contract to close the current benefits plan to new employees and replace it with a defined contribution retirement plan. The company has also made demands regarding the cost of living formula. The workers have been shut out of the plant since 7 p.m. Sunday. The shut out comes as the Canadian government is taking U.S. Steel to court alleging that the company has failed to meet employment and production goals it agreed to when it took over Stelco three years ago.

U.S. Steel is in a showdown with workers regarding contract demands. Jesse Russell reports:

US Steel has locked out nearly 1000 workers in Hamilton, Ontario. The workers have been trying to reach an agreement with the company since their contract expired in July of 2010. After the union rejected a recent contract offer and made a counter offer to the company U.S. Steel chose to lock the workers out. The company wants the new contract to close the current benefits plan to new employees and replace it with a defined contribution retirement plan. The company has also made demands regarding the cost of living formula. The workers have been shut out of the plant since 7 p.m. Sunday. The shut out comes as the Canadian government is taking U.S. Steel to court alleging that the company has failed to meet employment and production goals it agreed to when it took over Stelco three years ago.

[Better Today]

1. "failed to meet employment ...goals". It is good that Canada is

looking at this aspect. I know around here we plebs have to pay plenty more taxes so similar businesses could come in and pay no taxes, (state income, county/city property, and a break on state payroll taxes) with the hope they'd come in and hire 500(I think it was) employees. But even though they came in and didn't hire enough, or hired enough and then within two years downsized, they still got to keep all their tax breaks because we don't want to seem like we are business un-friendly around here :rolleyes

I'm glad Canada is pressuring them on their promises, but is Canada pressuring them on their employment promises or just those that benefit the government like production and quantity (rather that quality) of jobs offered.