Global Trade
April 14, 2026
Labor negotiations pause for Alcoa; Arconic begins talks with USW
Written by Stephanie Ritenbaugh
Contract negotiations between Alcoa and a United Steelworkers (USW) local in New York remain on pause as the two sides work through economic proposals.
“Although we have made progress on most local issues, language issues and a few economic issues, we have economic proposals that we are still far apart on,” the bargaining committee for USW Local 420-A wrote in a message to members March 19.
“We informed the company about how important the open issues are to the union and that, during this break of negotiations, they need to rethink their position on the remaining issues.”
A spokesperson for the Pittsburgh-based aluminum producer declined to comment.
Alcoa operates under a master agreement covering its US smelters at Warrick, Indiana, and Massena, New York. That three-year agreement was ratified in May 2023.
The agreement also sets wage and benefit terms for certain USW-represented employees at Alcoa’s Lake Charles, La., calcining facility, while reserving other provisions for separate local negotiations.
Meanwhile, talks for a four-year master agreement between USW Local 309 and Arconic are expected to begin this week. The previous contract, set to expire in May, was ratified in 2022.
Arconic company did not respond to a request for comment.
A number of collective bargaining agreements across aluminum producers are expiring this year, have recently expired, or are entering new bargaining cycles. As those timelines converge, 2026 could see labor negotiations play a larger role in operational planning, alongside trade issues and elevated prices.
