Steel Mills
US Steel to Begin Layoffs at Lorain Tubular
Written by Sandy Williams
January 10, 2016
Steelworkers in Lorain, Ohio are having a dismal start to 2016. In addition to this week’s announcement by Republic Steel that it would idle operations at its rolling mill, US Steel confirmed layoffs are coming to Lorain Tubular.
A union official reports 261 workers at US Steel’s Lorain Tubular Operations will be laid off beginning with 43 employees next week, according to a report by the Chronicle-Telegram on Jan. 8. The Lorain facility has 337 active employees but that number is expected to drop to 76 as the layoffs proceed throughout the month, said USW Local 1104 President Dennis Hamilton. Hamilton said the union received word from U.S. Steel that the plant would be shut down for three weeks in March.
US Steel spokesperson Sarah Casella did not comment on specific details but said layoffs were necessary because, “challenging market conditions, including fluctuating oil prices, reduced rig counts, depressed steel prices and unfairly traded imports continue to reduce demand for tubular goods.”
Between Republic Steel and US Steel more than 400 employees will be laid off in Lorain in the coming weeks.
Sandy Williams
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