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WASHINGTON (Scrap Monster): The United Steelworkers (USW) has issued the following statement regarding the status of negotiations with ArcelorMittal USA on behalf of nearly 14,000 workers at 15 U.S. Locations:

"We have been exchanging proposals with the company and remain engaged in negotiations," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.

"Our members continue to work under the terms and conditions of our 2008 agreements with ArcelorMittal while this long, frustrating process continues."

Gerard also said that ArcelorMittal has begun to restart the blast furnaces that the company irresponsibly and unnecessarily idled in the run-up to the contract expiration at midnight Saturday.

"We take this as a sign that the company may now recognize that neither the USW negotiating committee nor the union membership as a whole will be intimidated into accepting unwarranted concessions by the implied threat of a lockout," said USW District 1 Director David McCall, who chairs the USW's talks with ArcelorMittal.

"Our contract has not been formally extended, but we will continue to work under the terms of our contract," he said. "Management has confirmed that they will continue to abide by those terms as well."

Still, the two parties still appear to be far apart on a number of issues, including wage and benefit changes.