Ironworkers 852 in Tough Negotiations with Cives Steel in Augusta

Members of Ironworkers Local 852 at Cives Steel in Augusta are in the midst of tough negotiations with the company and may need our solidarity in the coming weeks. The workers have been working without a contract and are fighting hard for a new three-year contract that respects their hard work and dedication. The current contract expired on March 15 and was extended until March 31.

“With the cost of living soaring, many families are struggling to pay for basic necessities like housing, health care, groceries and fuel,” said Local 852 Chief Steward Tim Dunlap. “Our members are standing strong and determined to win a new contract that improves wages, health care and retirement security.”

The Georgia-based company has 1,400 employees and an annual revenue of $61 million. Only three of its seven locations are unionized; the other two unionized shops are in Gouverneur, New York (Ironworkers Local 824), and Winchester, Virginia (Steelworkers). Cives Steel workers were previously part of Ironworkers Local 807, but have merged into Local 852, a regional union of Ironworkers that stretches from Pennsylvania and Delaware to Maine.

In 2023, Cives Steel workers won a hard-fought contract after several actions, including pickets involving several members of other unions.