USW seeks clarity on USS plans for Granite City Works

USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap, who also chairs negotiations between U.S. Steel and the union, addressed news that the steelmaker was ending slab processing at Granite City.

“Though we have submitted a formal information request, we have yet to see anything in writing on U.S. Steel’s plan for Granite City Works,” Millsap said.

He confirmed that USS told its members there would be no layoffs despite the mill’s slab supply ending in October.

“As we continue to push U.S. Steel for details on how this impacts our members, we intend to hold Nippon accountable to the promises it made over the past year and a half to secure its deal,” he added.

USS plans

U.S. Steel said earlier this month that it would shift slab production and processing from Granite City its Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh and its Gary Works near Chicago.

SMU asked a U.S. Steel spokesperson whether pickling and oiling (P&O), cold rolling, and coating lines would continue to operate with bands provided by other mills.

“In November, they will not be processing steel, so those will not be operating,” the spokesperson said.

SMU’s understanding is that, until November, downstream operations are and will continue to operate, likely with substrate from other mills.

The U.S. Steel spokesperson also said that “the facility will be maintained in case the situation changes.”

Background

Granite City Works idled its ‘A’ blast furnace in April 2020 and ‘B’ in 2023, according to SMU’s blast furnace status table. The facility had annual raw steelmaking capacity of 2.8 million net tons.

Without slabs, the facility’s hot-strip mill would also halt production. The company could in theory continue to run its downstream lines with substrate from other plants.

Granite City makes hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and coated sheet for customers in the construction, container, pipe and tube, service center, and automotive sectors.

Recall that Nippon Steel cannot close, idle, or sell the Granite City mill before June 18, 2027, according to the terms of a partnership agreement approved by President Trump that allowed Nippon’s acquisition of U.S. Steel to proceed.