USW Negotiates 30-Day Extension, Agrees to Additional Bargaining Dates

Our USW bargaining committee has negotiated a 30-day extension of our current agreement with Cliffs Natural Resources beginning on Oct. 1, along with a rolling 168-hour extension if we go past those 30 days. Our agreement had originally been set to expire on Oct. 1.

While our committee has made progress on some issues, we remain far apart on many others. The company is still insisting on unacceptable and unnecessary concessions. These demands would essentially turn back the clock on decades of progress we’ve made at the bargaining table.

While we have made some progress at the local issues tables, there are still some major open issues in those discussions as well.

Although our bargaining team is heading home for now, our committees will continue to be in contact with each other. Negotiations will continue, and we remain committed to bargaining for as long as necessary to achieve a fair agreement.

Please continue to show up for your scheduled shifts, remain focused and work safely. Solidarity and communication have never been more important, so please keep in touch with your CAT coordinators and local officers for more information about our upcoming mobilization events. We’ve scheduled local union meetings at each location to offer updates and get feedback from members on bargaining. Meeting dates and times are as follows:

• USW Local 4974 – Monday, Oct. 12, 4:00 p.m.
• USW Local 4950 – Tuesday, Oct. 13, 5:00 p.m.
• USW Local 2705 – Wednesday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.
• USW Local 6860 – Tuesday, Oct. 20, 4:00 p.m.