"Still, some very difficult issues remain on the table. But because of this progress, we are going to continue to bargain for a while longer to see if those gaps can be bridged and a strike can be avoided,” the union said in an update to the membership. 

The contract between the union and the integrated steelmaker expired 1 September, and both sides are continuing to negotiate under a rolling 48-hour contract extension. 

The union's full update can be found here.