March 5th, 2003

What Do Some Alcan Oswego Production Workers Get Paid ?

Now that Kingston and Oswego are partnered into one business centre for aluminium production we have seen many Oswego workers touring our plant.

One of our shop stewards today talked to a worker to compare production wages. Was he surprised!

 An Oswego mill operator earns a little more than $23.00 an hour.

v The lowest regular employee class is over $18.00/hour.

v The "starting rate" is $11.00 / hour.(temp worker?)

This seems close to our wages, as a matter of fact they are

real close EXCEPT FOR ONE THING. American Dollars.

Alcan now talks in American dollars, all their financial releases, to their customers, most who are in the US and pay in American dollars. Our head office is in Clevland.

And those Oswego workers American dollars....well lets compare to Alcan Kingston dollars.

$23. US Dollars is about $34. Canadian(our mill rate B is $22 Canadian)DIFFERENCE=$12/hour

$18. US Dollars is about $26.50 Canadian (our lowest regular rate is 18.40 Canadian)DIFFERENCE=$8.50/hour

The $11.00 US is about $16.00 Canadian.(Alcan Kingston wanted a low starting rate in past negotiations)

But you supported each other and said no. WE DO NOT HAVE IT, they do.

We know the animosity that workers side by side doing the same job, earning

many dollars an hour less is divisive and unfair.

We have a number of proposals on the table for bargaining....you our members put them there through the survey we conducted in December.

We have wage issues...you put them there

We have Health care issues...you put them there

We have Retirement issues...you put them there

We have a whole range of issues on the table and we know we won't

achieve all of them...however.....we have to move forward on some.

Next time you hear we got to be competitive remember we already are...

we got the production records, we got the safety records,  

we got the know-how of our workers to get the job done right the first time!

But we don't have the wages! Remember that and support your bargaining committee!

UNITED WE BARGIN..DIVIDED WE BEG

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee