US Steel and USW reach 4-year agreement

Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corp. and the United Steelworkers union (USW) have announced the ratification of a four-year collective bargaining agreement between the two entities. “These agreements cover approximately 11,000 USW-represented employees at the company’s domestic flat-rolled facilities, iron ore mining facilities and applicable tubular operations,” U.S. Steel says.

The USW, in its announcement, says its members have “overwhelmingly ratified” the contract, which involves members of 13 different union locals. The new agreement is retroactive to Sept. 1, 2022, and will continue through Sept. 1, 2026.

“We are pleased to have reached these agreements with our USW-represented employees,” U.S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt says. “The new agreements balance the needs of our employees, customers, stockholders, and other stakeholders. We will continue to work together in implementing our Best for All strategy and transforming the future of steel through strategic investments in innovation, sustainability, operational excellence and the communities in which we operate.”

The announcement from the USW takes a different tack, with USW International President Thomas M. Conway remarking, “We fought back against the company’s schemes to weaken our contract and change our benefits. As a result, our members have won major economic and contract language improvements that will improve the standard of living of USW members and their families.”

In its statement, U.S. Steel says as part of the collective bargaining process, U.S. Steel and the USW “leveraged the overfunded Other Post-Employment Benefit (OPEB) plans to support the benefits provided to employees. The plans were modified to allow U.S. Steel to cover additional legally permissible benefits previously paid by the corporation.”

USW District 7 Director Michael Millsap, who led the negotiations for the union, says the new contract features a lump-sum bonus, improves wages by more than 20 percent over its term, increases pensions, includes an additional holiday and makes improvements to both active and retiree health care.

“With the new contract ratified, union members will be safer at work and our jobs and benefits more secure than they have been in the past,” Millsap says.

“Our nation’s defense and ongoing critical infrastructure projects need a robust domestic steel industry with highly skilled and experienced workers prepared to respond to changes in the market," USW District 9 Director Daniel Flippo says. "We steel workers look forward to the future and the challenges ahead with confidence that we will achieve our goals together.”

The USW says it represents 850,000 workers employed in numerous industry sectors and in public sector and service occupations.

Founded in 1901, U.S. Steel says it has an annual raw steelmaking capability of 22.4 million net tons and is engaged in iron ore production.