Steel Mills

Union to Vote on Tentative Deal at ArcelorMittal Mines Canada

June 8, 2021

ArcelorMittal Mines and Infrastructure Canada have reached tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers on a new labor contract following government-mediated negotiations. If ratified, the four-year collective labor agreement will cover 2,500 members in five union locals working at ArcelorMittal mining operations in northern Quebec.

AMmine Workers launched a strike on May 10 after voting to reject a previous tentative agreement and a follow-up offer by the company. The Canadian government stepped in, assigning a mediator from the Ministry of Labor to smooth negotiations between the parties. The President and CEO of ArcelorMittal Mining Canada, Mapi Mobwano, took part in the latest negotiations.

“We are pleased with this outcome, which is the result of the efforts of both parties at the negotiating table and the work of the conciliator. We leave it to the executives of the five local unions to present to their members the details of the agreement in principle to be ratified and we are hopeful to be able to turn the page on this conflict,” Mapi Mobwano said in a statement.

Details of the agreement will not be released until union members have a chance to review and vote on the new contract. ArcelorMittal indicated that it intended to increase its commitment to actively support the communities of Fermont, Quebec, and Port-Cartier, Quebec, as part of its Transformation project launched in 2020.

Workers called for more of ArcelorMittal’s “astronomical profits” to be used to support the region’s economy. Last month, Nicolas Lapierre, the union’s coordinator for the North Shore region, stated, “The economic situation is excellent, and the price of iron ore is reaching record highs. A portion of this success must come back to the region, back to Quebec, to benefit the regional economy, rather than going into the pockets of shareholders in London.”

By Sandy Williams, Sandy@SteelMarketUpdate.com