Contact: Tony Montana – (412) 562-2592 or tmontana@usw.org
PITTSBURGH — The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that the union has reached tentative agreement on a new, four-year contract on behalf of roughly 13,000 members of 13 local unions at U.S. Steel facilities featuring major economic and contract language improvements.
USW District 7 Director Michael Millsap, who chaired the negotiations, said that the bargaining committee unanimously recommended the tentative agreement for ratification and thanked union members for standing together in solidarity for a fair contract.
“Simply put, these essential workers have earned and deserve a fair contract at U.S. Steel,” Millsap said. “The proposed agreement 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 District 9 Director Daniel Flippo, who served as negotiating committee secretary, said the tentative agreement features a lump sum bonus, improves wages, increases pensions, includes an additional holiday and bolsters existing health insurance provisions for workers and retirees without premiums.
“Steelworkers will be safer at work and their jobs and benefits more secure under the tentative agreement,” Flippo said. “Our members have faced challenges in the past and know what it takes to lead the industry through its up and down cycles.”
Members of the negotiating committee are now traveling home and will provide more details in the coming days, including a timetable for ratification.
The USW (on the web at http://www.usw.org) represents 850,000 men and women employed in manufacturing, metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in tech, public sector and service occupations.