United Steelworkers' members voted Wednesday to authorize their union to strike at ArcelorMittal if a new agreement is not reached by the time the contract expires Monday.

The company and the union continued to negotiate Wednesday while the strike authorization votes were taken at the 14 locals representing 14,000 ArcelorMittal workers. About 9,000 of them work at the company's region plants.

About 300 members of USW Local 1011 unanimously voted early Wednesday to give the union the right to strike the steelmaker. Their union brothers followed the same pattern at the noon voting session held at United Steelworker Local 1010, where nearly 500 members approved strike authorization by a voice vote.

"There were no 'no' votes," said the local's president, Tom Hargrove. "Everyone was positive about the course we are taking."

The vote was again unanimous at subsequent sessions held for those not able to attend the earlier meetings.

Local 9481 members at ArcelorMittal's Riverdale, Ill., plant also authorized a strike by unanimous votes throughout the day, President Gary Bender said.

"We need capital invested here so we can remain competitive," Bender said. "We want to be able to compete for years to come."

The story was the same at Local 6787 and the company's 11 other USW locals.

Local 1011 represents about 1,400 workers at ArcelorMittal's Indiana Harbor west plant. Local 1010 represents the 3,800 hourly workers at the company's Indiana Harbor east facility, and Local 6787's 3,450 members work at the company's Burns Harbor mill. Local 9481 has 246 members.

The union asked for the strike authorization votes when negotiations on a new labor agreement stalled on several issues -- including health care costs, profit sharing and plant investment -- just days before the Monday contract expiration.

"I think our members fully support the bargaining committee, and their votes are a way of making the company understand that," said Jim Robinson, USW District 7 director.

Union officials have emphasized strike authorization doesn't mean a strike will occur.

"I hope it doesn't," said Ken Matusiak, Local 1011 union trustee. "Nobody needs a strike, but the way things have been going, the company isn't giving us a lot of options. We have issues and concerns. A lot of people are upset, but we have a united front."

ArcelorMittal officials said they were aware Wednesday that USW was pursuing a strike authorization vote.

"But negotiations are ongoing, and we remain optimistic that a settlement will be reached by Sept. 1," a company spokesman said.