Membership Update – March 6, 2009

Profit Sharing

The Four USW Local Unions representing the hourly Employees at Cliff’s operations have received the attached (posted on our web site) profit sharing results for the 4^th quarter of 2008. Cliff’s calculations show the profit sharing payout per eligible hour to be $4.08 x Eligible Hours = Payout.

USW Local 4974 Officers have been in contact with the USW International Union regarding this payout. Our International Union is requesting additional information regarding some of the calculations, including the “Exclusions for EBIT”. We will keep you posted of any developments regarding these requests.

The profit sharing checks are being processed and will be in the mail within 15 days as required per contract language.

Membership Postings, Recalls, Layoffs and Movement

The two lists of Employee movement for February 22^nd and March 8^th are also posted on our web site. Management is currently working on manpower issues, recalls as well as movement within the Mines. We will post these as soon as we receive them. There may still be layoffs in March per the second WARN notice issued January 5^th, 2009. Hopefully the current postings being filled as well as recalls and movement of Employees will limit or eliminate the need to have further layoffs. The agreement reach by Local 4950 to recall 50 Employees for five weeks to their major repair will help greatly in this effort.

Monthly Union Meetings and Nominations

All members should have received a mailing to their home address regarding these meetings. The notices are also posted on the web at WWW.local4974.org