“It wouldn’t be surprising if there are some wage increases coming from that," Ross told the news service during an interview. 

Although union members at both companies have authorized union leaders to call strikes, if they deem them necessary, the bargaining committees negotiating with the steelmakers have each reported progress toward new agreements in recent days. 

They, however, cautioned that more work remains. 

“ArcelorMittal has returned to Pittsburgh to resume bargaining with proposals that represent significant progress in some important areas, but the company still needs to make more movement on other issues – among the most vital to our members and our committee – to reach a fair contract settlement,” the ArcelorMittal bargaining committee wrote in an update to union membership.