Steel Mills
USW Unhappy With Insurance Proposal by US Steel
Written by Sandy Williams
August 6, 2015
Contract negotiations are continuing between US Steel and the United Steel Workers. The USW negotiation team was less than thrilled with the proposal received from management last week.
A USW update to members stated, “The USW negotiating team explained that the union would be flexible and willing to solve problems, but that the USW was not interested in large employee health care premiums or the dramatic deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums laid out in the company’s proposed Consumer Driven Health Care Plan (CDHP).”
US Steel is looking for cost savings in health and benefits that include increasing premiums, deductibles and out-of pocket expenses.
Medicare covered retirees would receive a credit of $1,150 to buy supplemental coverage, a proposal that the USW is “deeply skeptical of.”
The negotiating team submitted a counterproposal that includes:
• 3-month health insurance continuation for junior employees on layoff;
• Health care continuation for dependents of employees killed in workplace accidents;
• SUB benefit duration recharge for each subsequent layoff;
• SPT contribution for employees working 32 layoff minimization schedules; and
• Pension improvements.
The update from the USW said, “We also reminded the company that a good benefit package allows it to recruit and retain the kind of highly skilled and committed work force necessary to innovate and compete in the global marketplace.”
The current contract expiration date is September 1.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
U.S. Steel sues Algoma over iron pellet shipments
U.S. Steel is suing Algoma over the Canadian flat-rolled producer's rejection of iron pellet shipments, arguing it has breached its contract.
August US mill shipments slip but still higher than last year
The American Iron and Steel Institute reported a decline in the monthly shipments of US mills from July to August.
TransPod, Algoma, Supreme Steel linkup anchors Canadian steel in high-speed transit build
The three Canadian companies have announced a strategic partnership to support the development of an ultra-high-speed transit line from Edmonton to Calgary.
Metallus, USW agree to tentative four-year labor deal
Metallus and the United Steelworkers (USW) have agreed to a tentative four-year labor contract.
ArcelorMittal Dofasco resumes cokemaking after emergency maintenance
The Canadian steelmaker reported on Sept. 30 that “urgent maintenance” was needed in its coke plant off-gas systems. The work required coke oven gas from the No. 2 coke plant to be flared for most of that week.