HIBBING, Minn. – On Monday, a tentative four-year labor agreement was reached between members of the United Steelworkers and US Steel, which owns the MinnTac and Keewatin mines. The proposal will be brought to workers, who have to vote to approve the agreement. State Representative Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing) released the following statement:
“Congratulations to hardworking members of USW for their solidarity and ensuring they are fairly compensated for their work and congratulations to the US Steel for finding an agreement that will provide stability for US Steel to operate into the future. Getting to an agreement is rarely easy, but it is always important that to find one during good-faith negotiations.
“The newest labor agreement makes it more important that USW and ArcelorMittal are able to come to a fair deal. Coming to an agreement that fairly compensates workers for their hard work is all the more important with booming marketing conditions. Workers must be able to provide for themselves and their families while management is able to plan and operate with stability into the future. Failing to reach an agreement creates unneeded uncertainty.”
“Unfortunately, teachers in Hibbing and Chisholm are also working and teaching without a current contract. The recent agreements between workers and some of the mining companies show that even tough issues can be worked through to reach an overall agreement.”