Cliffs-USW contract talks remain underway ahead of Sept. 1 deadline

Labor contract negotiations between the United Steelworkers (USW) union and Cleveland-Cliffs continued this past week, the union said in an update to members.

The USW remains “hard at work” in talks with the Cleveland-based steelmaker at both the local level and among the union’s master bargaining committees.

But the USW and Cliffs haven’t discussed some key matters yet. “We have not begun bargaining over economic issues, including wages,” the USW said in an update to members on Thursday. “Those discussions will take place in a later phase of negotiations.”

The labor contract between the USW and Cliffs is set to expire on Sept. 1, as is the one between the USW and U.S. Steel. The USW and the two steelmakers officially began negotiating master contract issues on July 20.

Cliffs, as it has in the past, declined to comment on the talks. “We are engaged in good-faith negotiations with the USW and are committed to working toward a fair and equitable agreement,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Out of respect for the collective bargaining process, we will not comment on the details of ongoing discussions.”

The USW represents workers at many of Cliffs’ mills, but not all of them.

Cliffs’ non-USW mills

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union, for example, represents Cliffs’ Dearborn Works in Michigan. The UAW and Cliffs negotiated a four-year contract for Dearborn in 2024. It doesn’t expire until July 31, 2028.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) represents the company’s Middletown Works in Ohio. IAM and Cliffs negotiated a four-year deal covering Middletown that became effective on May 15, 2023. It won’t expire until May 15, 2027, according to the steelmaker’s 2024 annual report.

And in Canada, Stelco and the USW agreed to a five-year deal in August 2022. The pact doesn’t expire until June 30, 2027. Recall Cliffs acquired the Canadian flat-rolled steelmaker in 2024 for $2.5 billion.

Michael Cowden

Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.