GRANITE CITY – Five hundred steelworkers will be returning to work at U.S. Steel's Granite City steelmaking plant over the next four months, the company announced Tuesday. The company credits President Trump's plans to place a 25 percent tariff on steel imports.
“Our Granite City Works facility and employees, as well as the surrounding community, have suffered too long from the unending waves of unfairly traded steel products that have flooded U.S. markets,” said U. S. Steel President and Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt.
“The Section 232 action announced by President Trump last week recognizes the significant threat steel imports pose to our national and economic security. The President’s strong leadership is needed to begin to level the playing field so companies like ours can compete, win and create jobs that support our employees and the communities in which we operate as well as strengthen our national and economic security. We will continue to support our customers with the high-quality products they have come to expect from U. S. Steel.”
The company anticipates calling back approximately 500 employees beginning this month. The restart process could take up to four months.
Congressman Mike Bost, who represents the 12th District where Granite City Works is located, celebrated the re-opening.
“This is a big victory for the hardworking steel families in Granite City and the entire Metro East economy,” said Bost. “I was heartbroken by the plant’s idling."
Bost said that he fought for the plant to start up again for the sake of his constituents.
"Not only did I hear you, I took your fight to the Halls of Congress to combat unfair and illegal trade practices that have hurt American steelworkers. Through bipartisan legislation, we empowered the Department of Commerce to help American companies and workers respond rapidly to illegally-traded imports, but more needed to be done," Bost said.
"That’s why I helped advance efforts for the Section 232 investigation and took the case of Southern Illinois’ steelworkers directly to President Trump as he was deliberating its findings and recommendations. But we’re not done. We still have more work to do, because I have no doubt in my mind that the American steelworker is second to none when competing on equal footing.”
