BECANCOUR, QC - Yesterday afternoon, management of the ABI smelter in Becancour made a surprise announcement - with no prior union consultation. It clearly demonstrated that ALCOA has a hidden agenda. "We accepted the mediator's report, which addressed all of the company's goals. But yesterday, the company announced that it wants to cut 275 jobs, and threatened the smelter with closure," says Clement Masse, President of Local 9700 of the United Steelworkers (FTQ). "They are exploiting the economic crisis to roll back all of our hard-won progress. What we are seeing is the Walmartisation of labour relations at ABI."

The union local is stunned to see the company acting unilaterally to thoroughly undermine the collective agreement. On March 4, the employer unilaterally demanded a 15 per cent reduction in workers' hours. The company then - again, without consulting the union - presented a new work plan for its three Quebec plants. At this point, the union asked the Quebec labour ministry to mediate, and ABI management agreed. Following the mediation process, the mediator filed a report, which the union accepted. The company, however, never contacted the union before announcing the recent cuts. Masse adds, "ALCOA's attitude is in sharp contrast with the union's efforts to create a climate of cooperation, and with the plan we had mutually agreed on that would see hours reduced. We are now calling on the government to ensure that the labour agreement negotiated with ALCOA remains in force. That agreement calls for employment for 935 workers. The time is now, in the midst of an economic crisis, to ensure that the agreement is respected."

The company is enjoying savings of almost $10 million per month on the cost of energy supplied by Hydro-Quebec Masse notes. "The 15 per cent reduction they are demanding will save the company a further $1 million per month. Government programs funded by our tax dollars should not be used to allow a company to weather the economic crisis on the backs of workers. The age of political softness has gone on long enough, and it is time for the government to step up to the plate. We refuse to be the puppets of a multinational company while workers and their families suffer at its hands."

Masse says the union local will use every means at its disposal in the collective agreement to assist the 275 workers affected by ALCOA's unilateral and hard-hearted position. He adds that the union will also explore the legality of ALCOA's actions.

In video presentations on the subject of reduced work hours, shown in ALCOA plants, the employer affirmed that it would respect the process laid out in the collective agreements. "We believe that the employer has contravened the collective agreements, which state that union is the sole negotiating agent," Masse says.

The ABI smelter, located in Becancour, has been producing aluminum since 1986. It currently employs about 1,000 workers, who are preparing to negotiate a new contract. The current agreement with the company expires in November, and the date at which the legal negotiation period for the Office/Technical unit began is April 1, 2009.