Contact: Tony Montana at (412)562-2592, tmontana@usw.org
PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard today issued the following statement after U.S. Steel announced plans to idle tube operations in Pennsylvania and Texas, which will lead to an indefinite furlough for 265 workers.
“For months, our union has warned the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Trade Representative, the public and others that a flood of illegally subsidized and unfairly traded oil country tubular goods (OCTG) poses a significant and immediate threat to American steel companies and the jobs of our members.
“In addition, because of these imports and lax enforcement of existing trade laws, the domestic steel industry has yet to see the promised and expected benefits brought about by increased shale oil and gas energy production throughout America’s industrial heartland.
“The USW demands an immediate investigation into how a trade partner such as South Korea, which produces 100 percent of its steel tubular goods for export because it has no domestic market, has managed to conduct business here without regulation or any kind of fair tariff in place.
“For the workers and families in McKeesport, Pa. and Bellville, Texas, the USW pledges to continue fighting for a fair and level playing field so that American workers can get back to their rightful jobs as soon as possible.
“The USW will continue to be an outspoken advocate for workers who have paid and continue to pay the price for unfair ‘free’ trade, which remains the single most dangerous threat to the good, family-supporting, community-sustaining jobs the USW strives to create and protect.”
The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.
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