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Arbitration ordered on Constellium health coverage

CHARLESTON — Arbitration was ordered by a federal judge in West Virginia between Constellium and retirees.

Judge Thomas Johnston on Wednesday also granted an injunction preventing the aluminum processing company in Ravenswood from changing medical and prescription drug coverage for about 1,500 union retirees and members of their families.

The company will enter arbitration with a local affiliate of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union.

Constellium intended to replace employer-provided group coverage with a privately run insurance exchange with the option to buy supplemental Medicare coverage. The change, challenged by the union, would have affected Medicare-eligible retirees starting Jan. 1.

The company had no comment. Constellium does not comment on pending litigation, said Delphine Dahan-Kocher, vice president of public affairs and communications in North America for Constellium.

Constellium, the largest employer in Jackson County, is the former Alcan Rolled Products plant, which was built in 1957. The plant is among the largest rolled products facilities in the world and produces plate, sheet and coil products for aerospace, defense, transportation, marine and industrial uses.

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