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Thank you BPA for working with Alcoa to develop a draft contract that will provide Alcoa Intalco Works with an opportunity to continue to operate this plant for the next 7-years and more. My husband and I both are currently employed at Intalco. Even though the 9th Circuit Court recently handed down an opinion regarding the amendment contract Alcoa is currently operating under, we are sincerely hoping that this will not impact the pending 7-year contract. This ruling is in fact another reason to bring the negotiation to a rapid conclusion so that BPA can start to supply Alcoa with physical power at the IP rate as the Court has ruled it has the discretion to do. Until this contract is finally executed, we as a family are very concerned about the future of the Alcoa Intalco Works facility and our jobs. We urge BPA to continue to work to the current timeline to execute the contract, in its current form, by September 30, so that those of us working at this facility can rest assured that we will have continued employment. It puts a lot of stress on those of us who have been continuously over the past 8 years worrying about “do we have a job or not”, “can we afford to stay in our current homes”, etc. etc. I am a 29+ year employee here at Alcoa Intalco Works. My past employment has allowed me and my family a fair wage which has enabled us to live in Whatcom County, purchase a home and now fund our daughter's college education at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA. We very much are counting on the continued operation here at Intalco to continue to support our daughters' education. I'm sure you know the fact that there is very little to no financial aid for children whose parents are "middle class" wage earners. The rich can afford it and the low to no income earners have all kinds of financial aid programs. Her education has put a big financial strain on us as parents. There has been much talk about the enormous economic value Alcoa Intalco Works brings to the region. Please consider the often overlooked value we deliver through our contributions to the community. I like many of my colleagues contribute volunteer service through Alcoa programs such as Month of Service, as well as our own personal volunteer commitments. I was named our city's Woman of the year in 2007 for my volunteer commitments and accomplishments. Intalco has supported me in many of my community involvements. Please continue to work with Alcoa to bring this contract negotiation to a rapid conclusion so we can ensure the community continues to benefit from our presence long into the future. I applaud BPA’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Likewise Alcoa is committed to working in a manner that protects and promotes the health and well-being of the individual and the environment. In fact, Alcoa has committed to significant investment in the plant, including improvements to environmental controls to reduce GHG emissions, as part of the proposed long-term con |
