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Steelworkers having their say
(Times, The (Munster, IN) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Feb. 27--Local steelworkers are in the midst of determining what local issues should be included in upcoming labor negotiations with the integrated steel companies.
The current labor agreement between the United Steelworkers and ArcelorMittal, U.S. Steel Corp., Wheeling-Pittsburgh Corp. and WCI Steel Inc. expires at the end of August. The USW and ArcelorMittal are expected to negotiate first. That agreement is expected to set a pattern for the other steelmakers.
Negotiations between the union and company will begin following a series of "sound offs" at USW locals involved in the negotiations and visits to each of ArcelorMittal's domestic facilities.
"The main purposes of membership meetings is for the negotiating committee to hear from you," Tom Hargrove, president of USW Local 1010, said in a memo to his members. "This is an opportunity for you to be heard. ... We are now part of a master agreement that covers all of ArcelorMittal USA. In the past, Inland was a single plant, and we bargained locally. We will still have Local 1010 issues and items unique to our plant, which we will deal with singly."
Health care for workers and retirees, pensions, wages and contracting out are expected to be major points in the negotiations.
In fact, retirees of the ArcelorMittal plants that were assets of bankrupt companies are expected to attend Local 1010's meetings to present petitions they have gathered, asking the union to fight any attempts by the company to increase their share of health care costs.
Hargrove contends the petitions are unnecessary because the union always has supported its retirees. Protecting health care, pensions and retirees are among the issues included in any bargaining agenda, he said.
"As in every round of bargaining, no matter where it is, steel, aluminum or auto, the major issue is health care," Hargrove said. "One day soon, we must have national health care, or call it Medicare for all. ... There are steelworker retirees who lost their health care, due to no fault of their own, just because a company went bankrupt. This just isn't right."
David McCall, the USW's chief ArcelorMittal negotiator, and others on the negotiating team met with United Steelworkers Local 6787 members at the Burns Harbor plant in two sessions Monday.
Local 1011-Indiana Harbor West meetings took place Tuesday, while Local 1010-Indiana Harbor East members will have two meetings, at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., today The sounds off for Local 9481-ArcelorMittal Riverdale members is set for 4 p.m. Thursday.
The presidents of the locals and other members of the negotiating team began touring all 16 USW-represented ArcelorMittal facilities on Feb.12.
Tours are taking place at Sparrows Point, Conshohocken, Coatesville, Steelton, Cleveland, Lackawanna, Warren, Weirton1, Georgetown, Burns Harbor, Indiana Harbor West, Indiana Harbor East, Riverdale, Hennepin, and the Minorca Mine.
To see more of The Times, Munster, Ind., or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.nwitimes.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Times, Munster, Ind.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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