Steel Mills

USW Optimistic on Cleveland-Cliffs Labor Deal by Sept. 1

Written by Laura Miller

August 26, 2022

Negotiations between the United Steelworkers (USW) and Cleveland-Cliffs continued this week in Pittsburgh, with the union signaling optimism that a new labor agreement will be reached before the current contract expires next week.

Important progress has been made in bargaining over local issues, healthcare benefits, and capital expenditures, the USW said in an Aug. 26 bargaining update.

“We remain engaged with Cliffs at the table over major economics,” the update reads. “The company needs to limit its exposure to certain future costs associated with retiree benefits but recognizes that Steelworkers deserve to retire with dignity.”

“We are absolutely committed to finding common ground and bargaining through the remaining issues with Cliffs,” the USW said. “We are committed and optimistic that we will reach an agreement before Sept. 1.”

Cleveland-Cliffs’ chairman, president, and CEO Lourenco Goncalves, speaking at the 2022 SMU Steel Summit conference in Atlanta on Aug. 22, also expressed optimism that a timely deal will be reached.

By Laura Miller, Laura@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. Since 2007, she has held various editorial and marketing positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills. In 2021, after a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel trade journalism, joining SMU in 2022. 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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