The United Steelworkers (USW) union has filed grievances against United States Steel Corp. (U.S. Steel), according to a recent report by the Pittsburg Business Times alleging that the Pittsburgh-based company violated the terms of its contract with the union when it agreed to a $14.9 billion sale to Nippon Steel Corp1. The grievances, filed by the international union based in Pittsburgh along with four local unions, claim that U.S. Steel did not adhere to the union’s rights under a successorship agreement1. Additionally, the union is not convinced that Nippon Steel North America, a holding company based in Houston, can successfully and for the long term meet the terms of the four-year contract that continues even with a U.S. Steel sale1.
Key points of the grievances include:
- U.S. Steel allegedly violated the successorship clause in its basic labor agreement1.
- The union claims that U.S. Steel did not fulfill its contractual obligations 2.
- U.S. Steel maintains that it complied with its obligations under the Basic Labor Agreements 2.
The union’s concerns revolve around commitments such as pensions, profit sharing, capital expenditures, retiree health care, and more, which are part of the compensation negotiated in bargaining their contract1. The union asserts that anyone who wants to acquire their facilities must have both the intent and the financial capacity to meet the terms of the agreement1. In response to the grievances, a U.S. Steel spokesperson stated that the company complied with its obligations under the Basic Labor Agreements and looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with its USW-represented employees
Sources:
1. https://news.yahoo.com/united-steelworkers-file-grievances-against-180141320.html
2. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/united-steelworkers-union-files-grievances-over-u-s-steel-sale-to-nippon/article_3930700c-b191-11ee-ac41-c3fe5166d2ae.html
