Steel Mills

Third USW Local Joins in Conciliation, Strike Vote in Stelco Negotiations

Written by Laura Miller

July 12, 2022

Contract negotiations between Stelco and the United Steelworkers union are progressing slowly, and as a result, a third group of Stelco steelworkers has filed for conciliation and scheduled a strike mandate vote, a union official said.

stelco

Members of the USW Local 8782-03, responsible for Stelco’s pickling operations, have now joined the USW Local 8782 and USW Local 1005 in seeking the assistance of a Ministry of Labour conciliator in negotiations with the steelmaker. Local 8782, which represents workers at Stelco’s steel mill in Nanticoke, Ontario, has already voted in favor of a strike mandate, as has Local 1005, which represents workers at Stelco’s Hamilton processing and finishing operations.

Stelco workers have remained on the job despite the June 30 expiration of their previous collective bargaining agreement.

“Bargaining has been slow, to say the least,” commented Troy Cooper, president of the USW Local 8782-03 bargaining unit, which negotiates on behalf of the workers at the Stelco pickling operations.

“To date we have not been able to make the kind of progress that should be expected under the circumstances,” Cooper added.

The Local 8782-03’s strike mandate vote will be held on Wednesday, July 13. The vote is meant to show the solidarity and support of the steelworkers in the contract negotiations but does not necessarily mean a strike will happen.

Stelco did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday afternoon, July 12.

With record steel prices and strong shipments in 2021, Stelco posted record annual profits of Canadian $1.61 billion (US$1.26 billion) after losing C$159 million ($124.9 million) in 2020. This year, the company saw record first quarter net income despite a 50% decline from fourth quarter profit levels.

Stelco, which is based in Hamilton, Ontario, is an important sheet supplier to both Canada and the US.

By Laura Miller, Laura@SteelMarketUpdate.com

 

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

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