(BABBITT, MINNESOTA) – Four hundred Workers employed at Cleveland Cliffs’ Northshore Mining - who mine taconite in Babbitt, Minnesota and make iron ore pellets in Silver Bay, Minnesota, as well as transport products and tailings, have chosen to Unionize with the United Steelworkers (USW).

USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez, who District represents Workers in Minnesota and eight other states, said: “Mining in Minnesota provides essential support for our local communities, our Domestic Steel Industry and our Nation’s critical infrastructure.  We’re honored that Workers at Northshore chose our Union.”

The Workers elected to join the USW through Card Check, a process by which a majority of Workers indicate their desire for a Union.

“We chose to Unionize so that we can have a ‘voice on the job,’ especially when it comes to workplace health and safety, retirement security and other critical issues that affect us every day,” said Jason Curtis, who works as A Maintenance Technician in the operation’s concentrator. “We’re proud of our work and of our part in the long legacy of responsible mining in Minnesota.  Now we’re looking forward to making these jobs even better.”

The USW also represents 2,000 Workers at four other Cliffs’ Mining Facilities in Minnesota and Northern Michigan.

Northshore Mining was the last remaining taconite mine on Minnesota’s Iron Range without a Union.

The USW represents 850,000 Workers employed in a variety of industries, including Metals, Mining, Pulp and Paper, Rubber, Chemicals, Glass, Auto Supply and the Energy-producing Industries, along with a growing number of Members who work in Health Care, Public Sector, Higher Education, Tech and Service occupations.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: Workers at Cleveland Cliffs’ Northshore Mining Join USW | United Steelworkers