In 2023, the Iron Ore Alliance named Bob Bratulich the recipient of the Hard Rock Miners award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to Minnesota’s taconite industry. Bratulich, a retired director of the United Steelworkers District 11, and former USW Local Union President at U. S. Steel’s Minntac plant – the nation’s largest iron ore mining operation – co-founded the Iron Ore Alliance in 2013. Bratulich spent 39 years working at U. S. Steel and as a leader with the United Steelworkers.
