United Steelworkers has agreed to a 30-day extension of the labor union’s contract with U.S. Steel Corp., as negotiations for a new agreement — the first since Nippon Steel’s acquisition of the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker — continue.

The union, which represents more than 10,000 workers under a master agreement across U.S. Steel facilities in the Mon Valley and elsewhere, began negotiations July 20, in Pittsburgh.

Its current contract is set to expire Sept. 1.

In a note to members, the USW said it negotiated a temporary extension with the company because “we’re still far apart on our top issues,” and “we won’t be rushed into a bad deal.”

“We’ve made progress, including training and life-saving safety equipment, but several issues remain,” the union said.

U.S. Steel, on its website, listed the outlines of its proposal to the union in July, which includes a five-year contract, with base salary increases each year for a compounded total of 18.2% by the fifth year. The company has also proposed a $4,000 bonus for eligible employees when the contract is ratified.

A major point of disagreement between the union and the company centers on U.S. Steel’s healthcare offering. Represented employees have long enjoyed healthcare without monthly premiums. And while the company isn’t proposing premiums immediately, the union has interpreted U.S. Steel’s calls for “shared responsibility” as an indication that it is looking to shift more of the burden to workers.

U.S. Steel disclosed that it wants to form a Joint Benefits Committee with the USW that would “work together to identify cost-saving opportunities before any additional employee costs are considered,” should annual costs rise by more than 3%. Considering recent trends, increases are very likely to surpass that threshold.

In its materials, U.S. Steel said that its healthcare costs for union workers have risen by 43% since 2021.

“We know healthcare is one of the most important issues in these negotiations,” the company wrote on its website. “The reality is, costs are increasing for everyone — including for us.”

The union said on Monday that U.S. Steel hasn’t budged from its healthcare proposal, which “would almost certainly lead to substantial cost increases and benefit cuts, shifting costs and risk from USS to all of us.”

USW also wants pension improvements. U.S. Steel has proposed no changes to pension benefits or its profit-sharing arrangement for workers at USW represented facilities, which include Clairton, Edgar Thomson, Irvin, the integrated steel works at Gary, Ind., and other facilities. Big River Steel’s employees in Arkansas are not unionized.

The labor union told workers on Monday to “continue to report to work as scheduled, stay focused and work safely.”

Going into talks with U.S. Steel earlier this summer, USW’s District 10 director and lead negotiator Bernie Hall told the Post-Gazette that it was a good time to be bargaining, as the price of steel was high and U.S. Steel was benefitting.

The trend has continued unabated.

The price of a ton of hot-rolled coil has surpassed $1,200. It was below $1,000 when Nippon completed its takeover of U.S. Steel in June 2025.

In its latest earnings report released Aug. 4, Nippon presented U.S. Steel as its “primary earnings driver” of its overseas businesses, which also include steel facilities in Europe, India, and Thailand.

Nippon expects U.S. Steel to record a profit of more than $1.1 billion in 2026, swinging from a slight loss last year.

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