Real Alloy Teamsters ratify first contract

Members of Teamsters Local 89 at Real Alloy in Morgantown, Kentucky, unanimously have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. The contract, which the 136 workers won after authorizing a strike, is the first-ever negotiated between the Teamsters and the company.

“This contract will improve the lives of these hardworking men and women and raise the standard of living for the entire community,” says Avral Thompson, president of Local 89. “On behalf of all our brothers and sisters at Local 89, I am excited to welcome these brave workers into our Teamsters family.”

The new agreement locks in annual raises, better retirement benefits and improved time-off policies, the Teamsters says. Workers also gained access to Teamsters health insurance, which will reduce their deductibles and lower co-pays and out-of-pocket costs.

Daniel Cartmill, a business agent at Local 89, comments on the persistence of the Teamsters in the negotiations. “They stayed united and made clear that they would do whatever it would take to get a fair contract. With this ratification, they have done just that.”

“All of us here at Real Alloy feel a great sense of pride now that we are covered under our first Teamsters contract,” adds Real Alloy employee and Local 89 member Brian Wright. “By standing together as one, we have achieved the change we wanted to see on the job. We aren’t following trends—we are trend-setters. And we hope other Real Alloy facilities will follow suit.”

Real Alloy’s workers in Morgantown voted this past May to join the Teamsters.

The company’s workers at this location convert aluminum scrap into recyclable products that are used in other industries.

Real Alloy, headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, east of Cleveland, has employees at 16 production sites, the majority of which are in the Midwest.