After RG Steel purchased three of Severstal North America’s facilities, Warren, Wheeling, and Sparrows Point, the company has been in negotiations with the United Steelworkers (USW) regarding a new labor agreement. After much deliberation, the USW said yesterday they have ratified their new contract with RG Steel.

According to the USW press release, “Roughly 57 percent of the hourly production, maintenance, office and clerical employees of the former Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel facilities in the Ohio Valley; the former W.C.I. Steel facility in Warren, Ohio; and the former Bethlehem Steel facility in Sparrows Point, Md., along with Mountain State Carbon in Follansbee, W. Va. and Wheeling Corrugating in Wheeling, W. Va. voted in favor of the new contract."

USW International President Leo W. Gerard praised the members at RG Steel for enduring over two years of uncertainty over ownership issues and the future of the plants.

"The men and women who labor in these mills have earned the security and stability provided by this agreement," Gerard said. "Their hard work, commitment and solidarity has made the difference between success and survival or failure and the loss of these jobs and the communities they support."

USW District 1 Director David McCall, who chairs the union's negotiations with RG Steel, had similar praise for the rank and file members.

"Their perseverance has resulted in sweeping improvements to wages, benefits and working conditions for everyone," McCall said. "We have also improved the security of all of our jobs."

McCall said the key to the long term success is for members to support RG Steel in its drive to become the strong third leg of the integrated steel industry in North America, at long last completing the restructuring process that began in 2002 with the formation of ISG.

The USW represents 1.2 million active and retired workers in North America in a wide variety of industries and the public and private sectors.”

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