USW, U.S. Steel Reach Tentative Agreement

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that the union has reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract with U.S. Steel covering more than 16,000 workers at its US facilities.

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The union and the steelmaker had been negotiating since June for a collective bargaining agreement. The previous contract expired on Saturday.

Members will vote on the agreement after they review the details over the next few weeks.

"Throughout the summer, USW members worked tirelessly to achieve an agreement that we believe is fair to both sides," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. "We are proud of the work we have done to ensure a stable future for our members, our retirees and the company."

One of the most significant issues in this year's talks was health care for retirees, and how best to deal with the rising cost of that coverage.

"Both sides worked hard to come up with a solution that continues to provide our current and future retirees with access to high-quality, low-cost medical care," said USW International Vice President Tom Conway, who led the negotiations for the union.

The USW represents about 850,000 workers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glassmaking to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber to the public sector, service and health care industries.

CONTACT: R.J. Hufnagel, 412-562-2450, [e-mail]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

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