February 4, 2015

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to congratulate you on the tremendous victory you and your co-workers won in your fight for
dignity and justice in your workplace.
On January 30, a judge ordered Novelis to stop its illegal conduct and to notify employees of their rights to
unionize and its unlawful violation of those rights. The judge recognized that Novelis broke the law so blatantly
that having an untainted election now would not be possible. Therefore, the judge ordered Novelis to recognize
and bargain with the USW as the representative of its employees. This type of order is only issued when an
employer has engaged in the most severe and extreme illegal conduct violating employees rights to unionize.
We fully expect Novelis to continue to downplay the severity of its violations of the law and to appeal this
decision. Based on the judges order, we have formally requested for the company to begin negotiations
immediately. If the company fails to do the right thing and abide by the judges ruling, we will respond to any
appeal and continue to hold Novelis accountable for its violations of your rights.
FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE
Through your solidarity, your dedication and your hard work, you stood up to an abusive employer and proved
that threats, intimidation and manipulation do not belong in the workplace. Your brave effort to gain a voice on
the job has been rewarded.
Its unfortunate that it took a federal judge to tell Novelis what the company should have known from the
beginning: That a group of workers have the right to freely from a union and bargain collectively, if they so
desire. Now, we must continue our fight toward winning a fair contract with Novelis.
A STRONGER COMMUNITY
As you know, strong unions mean better workplaces, and better workplaces mean stronger communities. Thats
why your victory means so much. Its not just a victory for the workers at Novelis, but a victory for all workers
and families in Oswego and the entire region. We are all stronger as a result of your hard work.
As union members, we also know that companies need to prosper for workers to benefit, and working together is
the best way to achieve this goal. Thats why I look forward to working with you, and with Novelis, over the
coming months and years, to build a better workplace and a better community for all of us.
In solidarity,

John E. Shinn, Director

USW District 4

James Ridgeway, Staff Representative

USW District 4