ASARCO employees striking against unfair labor practices in Amarillo

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Thousands of ASARCO employees, including some in Amarillo, are striking today against unfair labor practices in Texas and Arizona.

According to the United Steel Workers, about 2,000 hourly workers at five ASARCO, LLC locations in Arizona and Texas voted to strike instead of accepting the Grupo México’s “last, best and final” offer.

The United Steel Workers District 12 Director Robert LaVenture said the workers deserve a fair contract with better and more secure earnings, benefits and pensions.

“We have things we have fought for for years that they are trying to take from us,” said Jose Loya, the staff representative for district 13 of ASARCO. “We can’t do it as a membership, to take the things they are trying to force on us, we can’t do it.”

Last Monday, Oct. 7, Newschannel 10 reported that the U.S. Supreme Court denied ASARCO’s petition for an appeal that asked the company to pay more than $10 million to hundreds of employees hired after June 30, 2011.

ASARCO’s four-year contract proposal did not include wage increase for nearly two-thirds of workers and also froze the existing pension plan.

The proposal also was more than doubling the out-of-pocket contribution individuals workers pay for in healthcare.

“If someone goes off to fight for our country, we have language in there that they can come back,” said Loya. “They have so much time to come back and transition back to civilian life. They’re wanting to take all that away. It’s a lot more than money.”

The United Steel Workers said it is willing to renegotiate a fair contact with ASARCO.

We will keep you updated when more information is made available.

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