PITTSBURGH, March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) union released the following statement today from USW International President Leo W. Gerard in response to U.S. Steel's announcement that it would restart a blast furnace and steelmaking facilities at the company's mill in Granite City, Ill.
"The USW welcomes this announcement from U.S. Steel and looks forward to working with the company during the restart process to ensure it is done safely and efficiently. This is good news for the workers, for the company, and for the entire community of Granite City.
"For years, the USW has led the way in the fight for fair trade. This decision, along with the President's recent move to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, is a direct result of that activism.
"Workers across the United States, especially those in steel towns like Granite City, have for too long been the victims of the illegal and unfair practices of our overseas trading partners, particularly China. Our hope is that this marks the beginning of a much-needed recovery for the domestic steel industry and for American manufacturing.
"Perhaps no steel town in the country is as closely identified with its mill as the town of Granite City is with the historic Granite City Works. We hope this restart will breathe new life into the community and that the mill can continue to provide good jobs for workers and their families for generations to come."
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/.
CONTACT: Wayne Ranick: (412) 562-2444,
wranick@usw.org
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SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)
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