Over the past several months, the Bargaining Committee has been engaged in talks with our Company to negotiate an agreement which compensates us for the work we do while ensuring security for our facilities for a profitable future. 

During the Road Show, we asked what issues were the most important to you. Wages, vacation and changes to our profit-sharing language were at the top of the list. In this Tentative Agreement, our raises increase over 20% over the life of the agreement, not including incentive. The new vacation schedule allows immediate vacation availability after an Employee’s Probationary period, allows junior Employees more vacation sooner, while senior Employees will receive an additional week. Our profit-sharing language has also been adjusted to reflect a straight forward calculation of steel segment employees. (An example of the new calculation will be reflected in the Summary.)  We will additionally, no longer see Pension Enhancement Payments (PEP) deducted from our profit-sharing pool, although our members who were Employees of a legacy Company will still be able to collect this payment.

While your top issues were addressed, the need for additional improvements were also essential. Our Bargaining Committee recognizes the ever-changing needs within our Union. As we see a younger generation of Steelworkers entering our workforce it was important to secure language allowing new members to join us without a reduced rate of pay, thus suspending the 80% Training rate. The family dynamics in a developing workforce oftentimes calls for additional protections. Establishing Parental Leave for those starting a family and adding healthcare benefits for those who may need fertilization services have been added to allow the necessary time and opportunity to address growing family needs.

An exceptional healthcare package with zero monthly premiums is fundamental in bargaining for all Employees. Ensuring the necessary healthcare coverage and services are available to each of us, and our families, must always remain at the top of our list when negotiating a comprehensive healthcare package. In this Tentative Agreement, our Bargaining Committee has secured the coverage of telemedicine and extended physical therapy visits for those who may need it. We have also included disposable insulin pumps as well as dental implants when necessary due to medical treatments and increased vision coverage to cover new frames and lenses every 12 months.  Additionally, our Bargaining Committee ensured spouses of members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community would not lose their healthcare coverage in the event current laws are amended or changed.

This Tentative Agreement also welcomes Juneteenth as a newly recognized holiday and will eliminate the Reed Group as our Administrator for Sickness & Accident Leave. In addition, the Spousal Premium Reimbursement Plan has also been eliminated, no longer requiring our spouses to take their employer’s insurance if they work more than 32 hours per week.

Building our retirement packages while maintaining our current retirees is a necessity. Our current pension contributions have been increased by an additional $0.50 for every hour worked under this Tentative Agreement which brings us to $4/hour. The Retiree Healthcare 401k plan has been increased to $0.75 per hour for the term of the agreement while Retiree Life Insurance has been increased to $25,000 and preventative dental coverage has been added to the Medicare Advantage Plan.

In conjunction with our main Tentative Agreement, Burns Harbor has been more successful in Local Issues than ever before. We have commitments to go through Lines of Progression in multiple departments which will be memorialized in the LOP. We also have commitments to revisit incentive plans, add Plant Training Advocates and expand our Grievance Committee to include Zone 7 which will grant the Coke Ovens their own Zone Griever.

Summaries with complete changes will soon be mailed to each of you with instructions on how to submit your ballot to vote. Please be sure to read the summary and reach out to the Executive Board with any questions. 

In Solidarity, 
Pete Trinidad Sr. 
USW Local 6787
President