Steel Mills

USW Says US Steel’s Labor Proposal ‘Falls Very Short’

Written by Laura Miller

August 25, 2022

The United Steelworkers (USW) said the latest collective bargaining labor proposal from United States Steel Corp. “falls very short” of what the union wants.

USW

The proposal is “unacceptable” and has been rejected by the USW bargaining committee, according to an Aug. 24 text sent to USW members.

A US Steel spokeswoman told SMU that its bargaining proposal reflects its belief that when the company does well, its employees also do well. The proposal offers 11% in wage increases over the life of the proposed four-year contract, a $7,000 bonus payment for each USW employee, and no changes to its uncapped profit-sharing program, she said.

The USW remains concerned about other issues. The includes what the union contends is a restricted healthcare network and no increase to pensions despite rising inflation and costs. The USW also said US Steel rejected its proposals on increased time off and parental leave, benefits the union said are already standard for company’s salaried personnel. The union is in addition concerned that US Steel has proposed only $1 billion for capital investments, whereas $2.5 billion was agreed to in the previous contract.

“At this stage in bargaining, a week away from expiration, things could move quickly,” the USW said in an Aug. 25 bargaining update. “Now is the time to stand up and show USS that you strongly support your bargaining committee in this fight!”

US Steel remains optimistic that it will reach an agreement with the USW, the US Steel spokeswoman said.

Labor negotiations are also in progress with Cleveland-Cliffs, and the USW wants to maintain a level playing field in terms of labor costs across the steel companies. “Our USW bargaining committee at US Steel is paying close attention to what’s happening at the Cleveland-Cliffs bargaining table,” the union said.

The USW’s contracts with both US Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs are set to expire on Sept. 1.

By Laura Miller, Laura@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

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