Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. announced that the United Steelworkers (USW) ratified the tentative settlement agreement signed by both parties this past October. All USW local memberships representing workers from Michigan and Minnesota operations ratified the new 37-month labor contract effective 1 September 2012. The new contract will cover approximately 2,400 USW-represented workers at Cliffs’ Empire and Tilden mines in Michigan, and its United Taconite and Hibbing Taconite mines in Minnesota. 

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, the company is a major global iron ore producer and a significant producer of high- and low-volatile metallurgical coal. Cliffs’ strategy is to continually achieve greater scale and diversification in the mining industry through a focus on serving the world’s largest and fastest growing steel markets. Driven by the core values of social, environmental and capital stewardship, Cliffs associates across the globe endeavor to provide all stakeholders operating and financial transparency.

The company is organized through a global commercial group responsible for sales and delivery of Cliffs products and a global operations group responsible for the production of the minerals the Company markets. Cliffs operates iron ore and coal mines in North America and two iron ore mining complexes in Western Australia. In addition, Cliffs has a major chromite project, in the feasibility stage of development, located in Ontario, Canada.