Alcoa informed the retirees by letter on December 4 that it would eliminate life insurance coverage effective December 31, 2019. The company included with the letter a check equal to a fraction of the face value of their life insurance coverage and a federal 1099 tax form, since the payment would be taxable.

The lawsuit was filed as a class action, and three Alcoa retirees have joined the complaint as proposed class representatives. The Wenatchee Aluminum Trades Council, a coalition of unions representing workers at an Alcoa facility in Washington state, is also a plaintiff.

The union is also studying other announcements that the company made regarding the health care benefits for certain retirees effective in 2021.

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The aluminum workers strike authorization votes were conducted during meetings at each location over the course of the past two weeks. USW members have continued to work under the terms and conditions of a contract that was set to expire on May 15, 2019, when the USW and Alcoa agreed to a temporary extension, subject to termination by either party with notice.

Formal negotiations between the USW and Alcoa broke off with the company demanding major economic and non-economic concessions.

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