Steel Mills

US Steel Proposes Closures at US Steel Lorain and Lone Star Tubular

December 18, 2016

US Steel indicated it may permanently close the Lorain Tubular No. 4 seamless mill, which has been idle since April 2015, as well as the No. 1 Electric-Weld Pipe Mill at Lone Star Tubular.

USW Local 1104, in Lorain, Ohio, was notified of the plan on December 14. The 90-day notice does not mean that US Steel will definitely close the line but it gives company the option to do so.

Dennis Hamilton, president of USW Local 2204, said the announcement was “more bad news” that follows the December 8 announcement that 33 workers were to be laid off indefinitely at the Lorain operations.

US Steel spokesperson Erin DiPietro provided the following comments regarding the proposed closures:

“On December 14, 2016, U. S. Steel advised the United Steelworkers of the company’s proposed intent to permanently close the following tubular operations: Lorain Tubular Operations (Lorain, Ohio) – No. 4 Seamless Pipe Mill and Lone Star Tubular Operations (Lone Star, Texas) – No. 1 Electric-Weld Pipe Mill.

“Both of these operating lines have been idled for an extended period of time. Lorain #4 since April 2015 and Lone Star #1 since March 2016. Our decision to propose the permanent closure of these two operating lines will not impact the status of any employees who have remained on layoff since the lines were idled.

“These proposed actions are strategic decisions for the company after considering a number of factors, including challenging market conditions for tubular products, reduced rig counts, and unfairly traded imports.”

US Steel Lorain Tubular Operations and Lone Star Tubular make steel pipe products used in the oil and gas industry.