13 Stelco locals ratify contract

Thirteen of the 15 locals at Stelco Inc. have ratified a new 3-year contract.

Included in that total is the key Hilton local in Hamilton. One local, in Burlington, was voting at presstime. The Parkdale local has rejected the latest deal. (The first tentative agreement was accepted by 11 of the Stelco locals.)

The workers, members of the United Steelworkers of America, voted to accept contracts in advance of the July 31 expiry date of the current agreements.

The new contracts, which will run until July 31, 1990, will see the cost of living allowance rolled into the base rate, and improvements made to the pension, vacation and group insurance plans. There will be no basic salary increases. The current average hourly rate (for the average job classification) is $16.34 ($15.94 plus 40 cents under a supplementary payment plan).

Five main locals at Algoma Steel Corp. are also reported to have ratified new one-year contracts.