Steel Mills

Cleveland-Cliffs Reaches Tentative New Deal With USW
Written by David Schollaert
August 27, 2022
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers (USW) on a new, four-year labor contract, the company and the union said on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The agreement is pending ratification by the USW local union members, who are likely to vote in the coming days on the pact negotiated by the bargaining committee.
The new deal is effective Sept. 1 but does not go into effect unless a majority of the 12,000 union members represented under the new bargaining agreement vote in favor of it.
The new contract will cover the following Cleveland-Cliffs facilities:
- Local 6787: Burns Harbor, Ind. – sheet and plate mill
- Local 979: Cleveland, Ohio – sheet mill
- Local 1165: Coatesville, Pa. – plate mill
- Local 9462: Conshohocken, Pa. – plate finishing
- Local 1010: Indiana Harbor East, East Chicago, Ind. – sheet mill
- Local 1011: Indiana Harbor West, East Chicago, Ind. – sheet mill
- Local 1010: Riverdale, Ill. – compact hot strip mill
- Local 1688L Steelton, Pa. – rail mill
- Local 6115: Minorca Mines, Minn. – iron ore
- Local 1375: Warren Coke, Ohio – coke
- Local 2911: Weirton, W.Va. – tinplate
Not included under this agreement are Cliffs’ Dearborn Works in Michigan and Rockport Works in Indiana, both represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW).
“Our employees are the heart and soul of Cleveland-Cliffs,” said Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs’ chairman, president, and CEO. “The USW is a partner and an ally, and we look forward to sharing in our future success together.”
The Cleveland-based steelmaker said that this new agreement allows them to do just that “while keeping our cost structure highly competitive.”
USW leadership also cheered the tentative deal. “The proposed contract provides important economic and contract language improvements that will improve working conditions along with the standard of living for USW members and their families,” USW International vice president (administration) David McCall said in a statement. McCall chaired negotiations with Cliffs.
The union said in an update to members that perks of the tentative pact include a commitment by Cliffs to invest $4 billion in its USW-represented facilities over the life of the contract.
The USW said that investment would increase job security. The contract also improves pay and benefits. The union said the agreement increased base wages by more than 20% over current pay rates. (See table below from the USW.)
By David Schollaert, David@SteelMaketUpdate.com

David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest in Steel Mills

Algoma swings to loss on ‘market challenges’ and ‘tariff uncertainties’
Canada’s Algoma Steel swung to a loss in the first quarter amid "market challenges," and the company now expects first steel production from its first EAF in the second quarter.

Ternium raises budget for Mexico project
The steelmaker now expects the new steel slab mill in Pesquería will begin operations by Q4’26.

SSAB announces $74M expansion in Alabama
The project will expand heat treat capacity at its Axis, Alabama plant

ArcelorMittal’s EAF in Alabama expects first heat in Q2
The facility at AMNS Calvert will be the first EAF in North America capable of supplying exposed automotive grades with domestically melted and poured material.

Nucor’s Topalian lauds Trump’s trade policies, downplays impact
Nucor’s top exec Leon Topalian said the benefit of the current administration’s aggressive trade policies “trumps” any risk of potentially higher raw materials prices.