ArcelorMittal USW union members may approve strike

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United Steelworkers union is urging members to authorize a strike against ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker.

"We are aware that the USW is pursuing a strike authorization vote but negotiations are ongoing and we remain optimistic that a settlement will be reached by September 1," the date the current contract expires, a spokesman for ArcelorMittal said in an e-mailed statement.

The union is urging members on Wednesday to authorize a strike that could involve the company's 14,000-member U.S. workforce, according to a report on the Wall Street Journal's website late on Tuesday. A strike could push already-high steel prices higher because it would further constrain supply.

"The company's current position does not do justice to our needs and demands and does not match the pattern set by the U.S. Steel agreement," according to a an update mailed to members on Tuesday by the union's negotiating panel, and cited in the Journal's report.

A representative for the United Steelworkers could not immediately be reached for comment.

ArcelorMittal said it would not disclose details of its negotiations with the union, but it was pursuing an "amicable resolution towards the remaining handful of unresolved issues."

(Reporting by Lilla Zuill; Editing by Braden Reddall)