Blog

Mesaba Metallics Petition

Over the next couple of weeks we will be circulating a petition requesting that no further extensions be given to Mesaba Metallics.  This petition will be brought to the Minnesota State Executive B

Local 2705 Election Results

Local 2705 elections were held on April 5th and 6th 2021, at the Hibbing Memorial building in the dining hall on the east end of the main north entrance to the buiding (our normal monthly meeting location).  The polls were open both days from 6 AM to 8 AM and 1 PM until 8:30 PM.

Local 2705 Election Update

Nominations for the USW Local 2705 were taken at the March meeting and the ballot has been set.  The elections will be held on April 5th and 6th 2021 at the Hibbing Memorial building in the dining

USW Welcomes Minnesota DNR Decision to Issue Permits for Planned PolyMet Mine

EVELETH, Minn. (Nov. 1) — The United Steelworkers union (USW) today said that it welcomed the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announcement that it had issued permits for a planned mining project in northeastern Minnesota.

After a lengthy review, the state DNR approved the permits for PolyMet Mining’s proposed copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. The USW has represented mining workers in the state for more than 75 years.

Contract Ratified!!

Our votes are counted and verified.  Information will be posted on  the property soon.

Text received from the USW last night:

New contract w/ Cliffs is ratified by membership! 4-yr agreement has significant wage increases & maintains benefits thx to your solidarity!

Tentative Agreement Reached

Negotiating Committees from all 4 USW locals approved a Tentative Agreement with Cliffs!! Look for info on upcoming ratification meetings from your CAT Teams.

Sept. 28: Bargaining Team Makes Progress, Health Care Proposal Would Not Include Employee-Paid Premiums

Our USW bargaining committee met with Cliffs representatives this week in Pittsburgh and made significant progress toward finalizing a new agreement with the company. Our current agreement is scheduled to expire on Oct. 1.

Thanks to your strength and solidarity and the hard work of our committee members, we have pushed the company off of its initial demands that active employees begin paying monthly health care premiums. We expect to reach an agreement that would keep our out-of-pocket health care costs affordable and maintain our high-quality coverage.

Sept. 28: Bargaining Team Makes Progress, Health Care Proposal Would Not Include Employee-Paid Premiums

Our USW bargaining committee met with Cliffs representatives this week in Pittsburgh and made significant progress toward finalizing a new agreement with the company. Our current agreement is scheduled to expire on Oct. 1.

Thanks to your strength and solidarity and the hard work of our committee members, we have pushed the company off of its initial demands that active employees begin paying monthly health care premiums. We expect to reach an agreement that would keep our out-of-pocket health care costs affordable and maintain our high-quality coverage.

Sept. 25th update

For those of you that don't receive the bargaining updates via the text update system, we received this information this afternoon.  September 25th 2018:

With less than 6 days left until our contract expires the company still insists on gutting our active health insurance. They want premiums, high deductibles and increases in out-of-pocket max that would erode any pay increases we may get. Now is not the time for concessions. It's time for a FAIR CONTRACT NOW!

Sept. 18: Cliffs Aims to Raise Health Care Costs

Proposal Includes Premiums, Design Changes, Would Spike Out-of-Pocket Payments

Our USW-Cliffs bargaining committee held more negotiating sessions with the company this week, during which the company presented us with more details about its economic and benefits proposals.

The company has proposed monthly health care premiums as well as changes to the design of our health care coverage that would significantly increase out-of-pocket costs for USW members.

Sept 14: USW Delivers Economic Proposal

Our USW-Cliffs bargaining committee held another series of discussions with the company this week as we work toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Our current agreement expires on October 1.