Description: Aluminum company Rio Tinto Alcan wants to reopen a nine-year contract with the Canadian Auto Workers at its Arvida smelter in Quebec.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Date: 10/12/2012

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/rio-tinto-wants-to-reopen-union-deal-in-quebec/article4609199/

Related links:

• Rio Tinto
• CAW announcement of nine-year agreement (see halfway down page)
• Montreal Gazette story

Questions for discussion:

• Why is the company considering trying to reopen the contract?
• What happens when the contract expires in 2015?
• What effect do think this will have on any discussions between the union and the company?
• A nine-year collective agreement is quite unusual. Why do you think the two parties agreed to this term?
• How do you think the union will respond to the company’s concerns?