The United Steelworkers (USW) have ratified its five-year agreement with Ardagh Metal Packaging, according to a press release.
"We negotiated better wages, pensions and benefits without sacrificing the security of our jobs or our union," USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez said in the release. "When union workers stand together in the name of fairness and justice, there are no limits to what we can accomplish."
Under the terms of the agreement, Ardagh will cover approximately 500 workers across various U.S facilities, based in Chicago; Whitehouse, Ohio; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Bishopville, South Carolina.
According to the release, the deal will also require the union to adopt yearly wage increases, strengthen pension and health insurance policies and offer a $2,000 lump sum ratification payment.
The changes were negotiated by Ramirez, who stated that “workers showed solidarity to win meaningful economic and contract language improvements for Ardagh employees.”
"Our local union representatives' strong voices in negotiations were crucial in making sure the issues most important to the membership were addressed," he said in the release.
The USW represents approximately 850,000 men and women specializing in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, as well as tech, higher education, public sector and service occupations experts.