Century Aluminum, union extend deadline for Kentucky smelter talks

Century Aluminum Co and unionized workers at its Hawesville, Kentucky, aluminum smelter agreed to extend by a week a deadline for reaching a new labor deal before the current contract expires on March 31, the two sides said on Wednesday.

United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9423 did not specify a new deadline, but said on its website its negotiation committee was conferring with specialists at the USW's Pittsburgh headquarters. The union said the extension would give the two sides "another week to try and work out some difficult issues."

Two years ago, the 244,000-tonne-per-year smelter was saved from closure when Century, which is owned by Swiss commodities trading and mining company Glencore, secured a new favorably priced power contract.

Century spokesman Kenny Barkley confirmed on Wednesday that the two parties had agreed to an extension, but declined to discuss details of the talks. He said the current five-year contract expires at 12:01 a.m. on April 1.

Hawesville is one of three primary aluminum smelters owned by Century in the United States, along with the 204,000-tonne-per-year smelter in Sebree, Kentucky.

Its 170,000-tonne-per-year smelter in Ravenswood, West Virginia has been idle for just over six years as Century seeks to negotiate a more favorable power rate and new wage deal.

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