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USW cheers Harris’ choice of Walz as VP nominee

Written by Ethan Bernard

August 6, 2024

The United Steelworkers (USW) union has praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her running mate in the upcoming presidential election. 

“Vice President Harris couldn’t have chosen a stronger champion of workers to be her running mate, and the USW applauds her decision,” USW said in a statement on Tuesday.

“From his many years of service in Congress to his time as governor of Minnesota, Gov. Walz has fought for working families every step of the way,” the union added.

The USW noted that “Walz understands the importance of mining and manufacturing to the economy of Minnesota and to the future of this country, and he will never stop fighting for workers across all industries.”

Though many had tipped Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as the presumptive choice, Harris selected Walz on Tuesday. The USW had previously endorsed President Biden before he exited the race, and subsequently Vice President Harris.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA. in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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Final thoughts

Cleveland-Cliffs is seeking $750 per short ton (st) for hot-rolled coil. That’s $20/st above where the steelmaker had been. It’s also $30/st above Nucor, which is at $720/st this week. We've seen prices increase incrementally this week. SMU's HR price, for example, stands at $690/st on average, up $5/st from last week. The questions now are whether a number well above $700/st will stick, whether other mills will follow Cliffs, and whether there is enough demand to support higher prices.