EAST CHICAGO | The United Steelworkers and ArcelorMittal will begin negotiations on a new labor agreement April 7 in Pittsburgh.

Tom Hargrove, president of USW Local 1010 at ArcelorMittal's Indiana Harbor East plant, announced the date in a message to members Tuesday.

Hargrove told his local's approximately 2,500 members that the union's Main Table Bargaining Committee is made up of local union presidents of all the ArcelorMittal Steel plants covered by the master agreement. The current five-year labor agreement between the USW and both ArcelorMittal and U.S. Steel Corp. expires at the end of August.

"As things progress, the bargaining committee will continue to provide updates to the department union representatives as well as the membership at the plant gates." Hargrove told his members.

He, grievance chairman Dennis Shattuck, and contract coordinators Luis Aguilar and Steve Wagner, make up the Local 1010's Issues Committee. Don Lutes, a retiree and former Local 1010 official from Griffith, will help address retiree issues, and other Local 1010 representatives and department USW representatives will be involved with negotiations as appropriate, Hargrove said.

The presidents of many ArcelorMittal USW locals nationwide recently attended some of a series of 14 sessions conducted at each local to learn what issues its membership wants addressed in negotiations.

"Members got up and voiced their concerns about improving vacations and adding personal days so that we can have more paid time off with our families on short-term notice," Hargrove said. "There were requests to increase pensions, including the $400 supplement (kicker) and restore lost pension service for those previously affected by long-term layoffs."

On economic issues, members want increased wages, improved shift differentials, upgraded labor grades for various occupations, an enhanced inflation recognition calculation, an improved profit-sharing calculation, elimination of a monetary penalty regarding transfers and a resolution on new incentive plans, Hargrove said.

There was a lot of discussion about hiring to fill production and craft vacancies, which would reduce reliance on contractors, and on addressing various lines of progression issues including seniority rights, he said.

Members also want health care insurance deductibles kept at reasonable amounts and retiree health care benefits maintained to include dental and vision with no substantial increases in premiums.

"These, as well as other issues, will be considered by the bargaining committee for resolution," Hargrove said.