Bargaining Gets Under Way in Pittsburgh
USW leaders from U.S. Steel facilities across the United States returned to Pittsburgh on Monday, July 6, to begin the process of bargaining a new master agreement with the company.
For the past several weeks, members of the bargaining committee have been in their home locals, negotiating over issues specific to each site. The committee members will spend the next several days in Pittsburgh resolving as many of those issues as possible before turning their attention to the “top table” issues, including wages, benefits, safety, health care and pensions.
The group will examine each of those issues closely and divide them among a handful of sub-committees for further discussion. The ultimate goal is to reach a new master agreement with U.S. Steel to replace the current three-year contract that expires on Sept. 1.
The State of the Industry
It’s clear that the current state of the steel industry – especially the effects of unfair trade - will make for a difficult summer of bargaining, but if we all work hard, remain patient and stick together, we are confident we can reach a fair settlement.
As International Vice President and bargaining committee Chairman Tom Conway stated: “Our goal this summer is to get a labor agreement, but not at any cost. We are coming together at a difficult time – there is no denying that. But there’s also no denying that we’ve been through situations like this before. We will get through this together. Solidarity and communication will be the keys.”
Stay Informed, Stick Together
With that in mind, we are encouraging USW members to stay informed and to stick together through this process. Look for regular printed updates, texts, e-mails and other communications from your CAT team about our progress at the bargaining table and about solidarity events in our communities.
In Solidarity,
Your 2015 U.S. Steel Bargaining Committee