U.S. Steel, ArcelorMittal Declares Further Production Cuts at U.S.Mills

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel announced plans to idle its East Chicago Tin plant in northeast Indiana by mid-November this year. Also, ArcelorMittal has announced further production cuts at its Wierton tin mill in West Virginia.

According to U.S. Steel press release, the decision to idle the plant is part of efforts to consolidate its till mill operations in the U.S. The high levels of low-priced imports have forced the company to idle the plant, which in turn could affect nearly 150 employees. Out of the 297 total workers at the facility, almost half will be offered positions at its Gary Works and the Midwest Plant in Northwest Indiana.

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Meghan Cox, the U.S. Steel spokeswoman noted that the decisions around employee impacts have not been finalized. The company will try its level best to place as many East Chicago Tin employees as possible at other nearby facilities, by working in cooperation with the union, she added.

It must be noted that U.S. Steel had last week announced issuance of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices to fewer than 200 employees at its Great Lakes steel making facility in Michigan.

Meantime, ArcelorMittal announced that it will lay off nearly 100 workers at its tin mill in Wierton. The layoffs are expected to be carried out in phases beginning this week. So far, nearly 20 junior employees have been terminated from their jobs. It blamed rising quantity of imports as well as ongoing decline in tin can market as the reasons for the decision.