BALTIMORE (AP) — Union officials say workers are returning to the Sparrows Point steel mill sooner than expected.

Chris MacLarion is the acting president of United Steelworkers Local 9477, which represents the workers at the Baltimore County mill. He tells The Baltimore Sun that the bulk of those workers are returning this weekend.

RG Steel had told state officials in December that it would lay off about 720 workers until early March. MacLarion says about 550 of those employees will be returning to work soon.

Gov. Martin O’Malley had been encouraging RG Steel’s lenders to help stabilize the company’s financial arrangements. The steelmaker and the banks had been in talks to reach a financing agreement.

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