A summary of the tentative four-year agreement between the United Steelworkers and U.S. Steel Corp. has been mailed to the 16,000 members in the 12 union locals covered by its terms.

Approval of the pact would put $6,000 signing bonuses in the pockets of each of the company's union workers, including the 5,500 employed at the combination of Gary Works, the Midwest plant in Portage and at East Chicago Tin.

Voting on the agreement by union members is by mail-in ballot, with the vote to be counted in early to mid-September, said Jim Robinson, USW District 7 director. Although the current agreement expires Sept. 1, it would remain in force until a new agreement is approved.

Presidents of the union locals representing U.S. Steel's hourly workers approved the tentative contract Aug.10. The agreements highlights include:

* a payment of $6,000 by the company to each of its 16,000 USW workers when the contract is signed.

* a $1-per-hour wage increase on Sept. 1 for each of the five worker labor grades.

* a 4 percent wage hike in the second, third and fourth year of the agreement.

* $7,500 retirement bonus for U.S. Steel's Midwest Plant in Portage employees who are 60 years or older and worked for the facility when it was owned by National Steel Co. U.S. Steel bought the facility in 2003.