Alcan employees in B.C. ratify five-year agreement, smelter to be upgraded

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=af02e228-a2b0-4e6f-908c-f5b4f76dae15&k=18135

Alcan employees in B.C. ratify five-year agreement, smelter to be upgraded
Canadian Press
Published: Friday, May 04, 2007

KITIMAT, B.C. (CP) - Alcan Inc. (TSX:AL) hourly employees in Kitimat have ratified a five-year collective agreement that includes a pay hike and solidifies plans to modernize the smelter.

The agreement provides for a 2.5 per cent wage increase each year, improvements in monetary and non-monetary packages and a signing bonus of $2,300 per active member, the aluminum producer said Thursday.

More than 61 per cent of the 1,300 production and maintenance workers represented by the Canadian Auto Workers local voted to ratify the deal.

The deal also means Alcan can move forward with plans to modernize the Kitimat smelter, since one of the conditions set for that project by the company was the presence of a long-term labour contract.

The other two key conditions are obtaining necessary environmental permits and a new long-term energy agreement.

Alcan said it will proceed with the project's preparations, which include engineering procurement construction management contracting and preliminary engineering and soil analysis.

FULL story at link.

[3waygeek]

1. Good news, bad news...

Alcoa has made a $33 billion hostile bid for Alcan.