Cleveland-Cliffs, union announce 4-year deal

Cleveland-Cliffs, one of two blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmakers in the United States, says its new labor agreement with the United Steelworkers (USW) union has been ratified.

The contract covers approximately 12,000 USW-represented employees at 13 operating locations and has a four-year duration from its starting date of Sept. 1, 2022, says the Cleveland-based producer of steel and iron metallics.

“Combined with the previously ratified labor agreement covering 2,000 USW-represented employees at the company’s mining and pelletizing operations, Cliffs and the USW have concluded the renegotiating cycle with contracts valid through September of 2026,” states the company.

“Cleveland-Cliffs is a people-oriented company,” Lourenco Goncalves, board chair, president and CEO of the firm, says. “These labor agreements, covering more than half of our entire workforce, support that statement. Our workforce has made these past two years possible, including navigating a monumental transformation and growth, overcoming the challenges of a pandemic and adapting to an ever-changing business climate. Going forward, we will continue to promote our employees’ well-being as the basis of our success, for the benefit of our clients and our long-term shareholders.”

The agreement was announced during the same week a proposed resolution to a nationwide freight rail strike brokered by the Biden administration was met with a setback in the form of a thumbs down vote from one of the unions involved.