Corporate plan would permanently end steelmaking jobs at Granite City mill, union says

A pending corporate deal would permanently shut down steelmaking operations at the mill in Granite City, cutting an estimated 1,000 jobs.

United States Steel owns the mill and indicated plans to sell two blast furnaces at Granite City Works to SunCoke Energy, Inc., a raw materials handling company. SunCoke would repurpose the furnaces to create a “2 million ton granulated pig iron production facility” there, according to a U.S. Steel letter setting preliminary terms of the deal.

“The announced potential agreement could cause the permanent shutdown of the steel making and finishing operations at the Granite City Works,” said Local 1899 Union President Dan Simmons.

Pig iron is a crude material that can fuel electric arc furnaces used to make steel. Repurposing the blast furnaces and building a new facility at the site of the mill could mean the loss of nearly 1,000 jobs, the union estimates.

“In pursuit of financial greed, (United States Steel) plans to shut down these vital resources and turn its back on both the skilled, hard-working steelworkers who have made this company successful,” Simmons said.