Cleveland Cliffs reach 3-year contract agreement with USW at Northshore Mine

BABBITT, MN. (Northern News Now) - Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers (USW) have reached a tentative agreement.

The new three-year contract will cover the approximately 430 workers who mine taconite in Babbitt and make iron ore pellets in Silver Bay at the Northshore Mine.

This comes after the workers chose to unionize in July.

In a statement, Lourenco Goncalves, President and CEO said:

“The United Steelworkers have demonstrated their unwavering support of Cleveland-Cliffs throughout the years, and this new labor agreement for Northshore further strengthens our collaborative partnership. We look forward to working together with our new USW partners at Northshore and continuing to build a strong workforce for our present and future competitiveness.”

Officials say the agreement is pending ratification by USW local union membership.

The USW represents 2,000 workers at four of the other Cliff’s mining facilities in Minnesota and Northern Michigan.

The Northshore Mine was the only remaining taconite mine on Minnesota’s Iron Range without a union.

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