Real Alloy Kentucky Unionization: Workers Join Teamsters at Morgantown Aluminum Plant

Real Alloy

Over 130 workers at secondary smelter vote to unionize amid broader labor momentum in U.S. metals sector

Plant operations to continue as collective bargaining negotiations begin for first formal labor contract

Real Alloy Kentucky unionization efforts gained traction last week as 70% of the workforce at the company’s Morgantown, Kentucky plant voted to join the Teamsters. This marks a significant labor development in the U.S. secondary aluminum market, where employees seek more structured representation amid rising industry demand and cost pressures.

Union-backed workers to negotiate first contract at 210,000ft² aluminum recycling facility

The Morgantown site includes three rotary furnaces, a reverberatory furnace, and a holding furnace for producing recycled secondary ingot (RSI) and molten metal from aluminum scrap. It also features a shredding line and salt cake processing system, reinforcing its position as a vertically integrated aluminum recycler. Now under Teamsters representation, workers will begin negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement with the Ohio-based company.

Four other Real Alloy sites already operate under labor union agreements

Real Alloy Kentucky unionization follows similar arrangements at four other company facilities, including one in Wabash, Indiana, and three more in Canada, Mexico, and Macedonia, Ohio. While no timeline has been set for contract talks in Morgantown, the unionization signals growing labor alignment across Real Alloy’s North American operations. At this time, there is no indication that production will be disrupted.

The Metalnomist Commentary

The Real Alloy Kentucky unionization reflects increasing labor mobilization in downstream metals. As recycled aluminum demand rises, organized workforces may become a new norm, impacting wage structures, retention strategies, and operational dynamics in the secondary smelting sector.