Steel Markets

UAW and FCA Reach Tentative Labor Agreement
Written by Sandy Williams
December 2, 2019
The United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler Automotive reached a tentative labor agreement over the holiday weekend. The four-year agreement includes $9 billion of investments by the company that will add 7,900 jobs during the contract period, said the UAW in a press statement. Other terms of the contract are confidential until members are informed.
According to Detroit News sources, the agreement includes a $9,000 ratification bonus, and no FCA plants will be closed.
“FCA has been a great American success story thanks to the hard work of our members. We have achieved substantial gains and job security provisions for the fastest growing auto company in the United States,” said UAW Acting President Rory Gamble. “During the previous four-year agreement, FCA added over 6,400 new UAW members.”
The UAW-FCA national council will meet on Dec. 4 to go over details of the agreement and, if adopted, will be presented to FCA hourly and salaried members for a ratification vote beginning Dec. 6.
The tentative agreement comes amidst scandals within the UAW, which saw its leadership resign over allegations of misuse of funds, and a racketeering lawsuit brought against FCA by General Motors.
Ratification of the contract by FCA union members will end the Detroit 3 auto contract negotiations until 2023.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets

Thin demand keeps plate prices hovering at lowest levels since February
Participants in the domestic plate market say spot prices appear to have hit the floor, and they continue to linger there. They say demand for steel remains thin, with plate products no exception.

Worldsteel: Global steel demand flat, but modest rebound forecast for 2026
The World Steel Association (worldsteel) Short Range Outlook for global steel demand predicts that 2025’s steel demand will clock in at the same level as in 2024. In its October report, the Brussels-based association stated that this year’s steel demand will reach ~1,750 million metric tons (mt). The organization forecasts a 1.3% demand rebound in 2026, pushing […]

CRU: China’s indirect steel exports find new destination markets
The boom in China’s direct steel exports has not stopped this year, even with a rise in protectionist measures globally. The increase is driven by...

Great Lakes iron ore cargoes down in September as Cleveland tonnage slips
Iron ore shipments from US Great Lakes ports fell sharply in September, per the latest from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) of Westlake, Ohio.

HVAC equipment shipments down through August
Although total HVAC shipments fell in August, YTD volumes remain relatively strong. Nearly 15 million units were produced in the first eight months of the year, the fourth-highest rate in our 19-year data history.