SHELBY — About 450 ArcelorMittal employees have been on strike in Shelby for 35 days.
A large portion of those employees made their voices heard Tuesday afternoon as they formed a lengthy picket line along West Main Street in front of the Shelby plant.
United Steelworkers Local 3057 began its strike at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 13 after no agreement had been reached between ArcelorMittal and the union.
“As far as this Local (3057), it’s the longest one (strike) they’ve ever had,” Steve Ackerman, a USW International representative, said Tuesday afternoon during an interview with Richland Source.
The ongoing strike has already tripled the length of a 2021 labor dispute between the two sides that lasted 11 days and ended in agreement on a four-year contract.
Current negotiations between ArcelorMittal and USW Local 3057 began Sept. 2, 2025.
ArcelorMittal and union officials most recently met on Jan. 28, Ackerman said Tuesday. The two sides have not met to negotiate since.
Company officials have not commented to Richland Source regarding the contract issue.
Below are photos from the picket line along West Main Street on Tuesday afternoon in front of the ArcelorMittal plant in Shelby. Credit: Hayden Gray
While on strike, employees in the bargaining unit have forfeited their pay. Ackerman said their insurance benefits also came to a halt at the end of January.
Picketing outside of the Shelby steel company began almost simultaneously with the strike. Union members have had a consistent presence along West Main Street, waving to travelers, holding signs and burning wood to keep warm.
“It is overwhelming to see the support USW Local 3057 is getting from the community. It is a shame to see such a good group of hard workers have to fight for a fair contract. The union is ready and willing to continue bargaining,” Ackerman previously told Richland Source.
“There are things such as proposed language changes, work schedule changes, and health care changes that are the main focus (of contract negotiations) as of right now,” he said near the end of January.
ArcelorMittal has two locations in Ohio — one in Shelby and the other in Marion. The Shelby plant is its largest in the state.
The longer the strike continues, Ackerman said the more damage it could cause to the company’s workforce.
“It’s a shame because they are going to lose valuable employees,” he said on Jan. 29. “They probably already have, especially the longer it (strike) goes on.”
