Market Segment
August 28, 2026
USW: Union and USS still 'very far apart' ahead of Sept. 1 deadline
Written by Michael Cowden
The United Steelworkers (USW) union said it remains “very far apart” with U.S. Steel on the terms of a new labor contract.
That matters because we’re just days away from Sept. 1, when the current four-year labor contract between the union and the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker expires.
The USW said in an update to members on Friday that the company had rejected a framework deal proposed by the union, one that addressed key concerns such as health care, wages, and investments in U.S. Steel’s union-represented plants.
“Unfortunately, instead of having meaningful discussion over these important issues, USS responded with new, unrelated proposals that moved the whole process backwards,” the USW alleged.
U.S. Steel told SMU in a statement on Friday that “good-faith negotiations” continue— including on the key issues highlighted by the USW. “Our goal remains to reach an agreement that recognizes the important work our employees do and supports a strong future for them, their families, and U.S. Steel,” the company said.
The USW update was signed by local union presidents representing the breadth of U.S. Steel’s union-represented facilities—which include mines and pellet plants in Minnesota, sheet mills in the Midwest, and an EAF mill in Alabama.
The company also operates two non-union EAF sheet mills, Big River Steel 1 and Big River Steel 2, in Arkansas.
