The United Steelworkers union and U.S. Steel have reached a tentative bargaining agreement, the union announced Monday.
The two sides have been working under an extension of the last contract, which expired Sept. 1, but have been negotiating since July.
At the time, the union argued U.S. Steel was demanding too many concessions from increased health care premiums to slim wage increases. Union locals approved a strike authorization vote in September, but both sides continued to work under the extended contract, avoiding a strike or work stoppage.
“Every member of this union should be proud of what we’ve accomplished,” said USW International Vice President Tom Conway, the chair of the union’s bargaining committee in a news release Monday. “This group of workers stood up to a hugely profitable company and demanded a piece of the success they helped to create.”
Union members will vote on the contract in the next few weeks.
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In a separate statement, David B. Burritt, president and CEO of U.S. Steel, said he was “pleased” with the tentative agreement.
“Together, we’ve agreed on terms that will create certainty and stability for our many stakeholders, enable our company to implement our long-term business strategy, which includes continued, responsible investments in our people and plants, and position U.S. Steel to remain a leader in the highly competitive global steel industry.”
Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel owns and operates Keetac in Keewatin and Minntac in Mountain Iron.
United Steelworkers represents more than 16,000 U.S. Steel workers in the U.S.
The union ratified a contract with Cleveland-Cliffs last week, but negotiations with ArcelorMittal, which runs the Minorca Mine in Virginia, are ongoing.
Like U.S. Steel, union workers at ArcelorMittal have been working under an extended contract since Sept. 1 and approved a strike authorization vote last month.
