MARQUETTE, MI-- The contract between United Steelworkers and Cliffs Natural Resources has been extended 30 days.
It was set to expire at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.
Officials say both sides agreed to include a rolling 168-hour extension if negotiations go past the 30-day period.
USW Local 4974 covers workers at the Tilden mine, and Local 4950 covers workers at the Empire mine. In a negotiations update union officials say progress has been made on some issues, but the parties remain deeply divided on others.
The contract extension begins Thursday.
