  Billybbrew Member Username: Billybbrew Post Number: 367 Registered: 07-2005 |
In a press release issued at 6:00pm tonight from Pittsburgh, United States Steel announced that, due to the poor economy, they will be closing 3 of their plants temporarily including the former National Steel/Hanna Furnace Works in Detroit, now known as USS Great Lakes works. This includes Iron making at Zug Island, likely the coke battery, the 80" mill in River Rouge and the Main Plant in Ecorse. This will mean the temporary loss of many jobs in the area, including Detroit. Given the amount of time to shut down properly and the cost to shut down and bring back the plants online, my best guess would be that temporary means at least 90 days, possibly more. Below is a link to the press release. http://uss.mediaroom.com/index .php?s=43&item=546 (Message edited by BillyBBrew on December 02, 2008) | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 2966 Registered: 02-2007 |
Heard this earlier today. I wonder what this is going to do to the price of steel. It's already sky-high. Man these SOB's have got this country F'd up. | ||
Billybbrew Member Username: Billybbrew Post Number: 368 Registered: 07-2005 |
I was more worried about the loss of jobs and the impact on the local economy than the price of steel..... | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 2968 Registered: 02-2007 |
All in the same pot. Job-loss, high steel price, higher overhead, more job loss. Everyone is concerned about job losses. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 747 Registered: 05-2006 |
We just keep getting punched in the face day after day. I wonder if this has anything to do with all the cheap steel China continues to dump in our country that we welcome with open arms? | ||
Billybbrew Member Username: Billybbrew Post Number: 369 Registered: 07-2005 |
Word this morning is that they will have everything shut completely down and winterized by the 14th. The only USS employees left remaning will be USS Security. They are saying everything will be down until as early as March, possibly June. Let's hope for March.... | ||
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56 Post Number: 661 Registered: 05-2007 |
News blurb I heard was this was a result of a lower demand for cars. less cars produced = less steal needed. | ||
Billybbrew Member Username: Billybbrew Post Number: 370 Registered: 07-2005 |
the main buyer of steel from USS is the US Auto Industry.... | ||
_sj_ Member Username: _sj_ Post Number: 2832 Registered: 12-2003 |
Don't forget the Construction industry which is worldwide the largest consumer. And China who is the largest consumer by country. The Auto Industry could learn a lot from the Steel Industry. Infact I think the failure of the Steel industry should be required reading for all auto pundits. Isn't the Steel Industry against the Auto Bailouts? | ||
Mopardan Member Username: Mopardan Post Number: 13 Registered: 11-2008 |
SJ, I don't think they're against the Auto Bailouts. The Steelworkers Union president(Gerard I think) was on the Rachel Maddow show last night. I only caught a bit of it, but he sounded supportive of them securing loans plus defended the UAW. I found this video on MSNBC, but can't pull it up because it's blocked on our network(no video, audio streaming, etc). http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21 134540/vp/28024358#28024358 | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 896 Registered: 07-2007 |
"Infact I think the failure of the Steel industry should be required reading for all auto pundits." Agreed. They'll see how badly the bankruptcy of the steel mills damaged the towns that depended on them. Places like Pittsburgh are only now coming around from the closing of the mills. Other towns have never recovered. | ||
Registeredguest Member Username: Registeredguest Post Number: 450 Registered: 10-2003 |
Part of what is spawning Pittsburgh's recovery is cultural - i.e. a culture that values innovation, challenge, creativity and work over a culture that fears change, suffers from entitlement and rewards mediocrity. This latter culture of entitlement is a culture associated with single industry towns, such as Detroit and formerly Pittsburgh, who during their boomtimes and their subsequent slow slide into oblivion, forget the importance of challenge, innovation and risk. Maybe this current crisis is the wakeup call we need. It appears that the Big 3 and the UAW are finally making the tough decisions that the steel industry made during its reorganization. Will our state and local governments follow? It'll be painful, but we can only hope they'll make the drastic changes needed to position Michigan and Detroit into a period of growth. Of course, with leaders like Lt. Gov Cherry, Ficano, Cox and the like, it's tough to be optimistic. | ||
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56 Post Number: 667 Registered: 05-2007 |
here's an idea from the Steel industry that might help the US Auto: Convince the Government to tariff the heck out of foreign cars (like Japan does). Thus driving the price of the foreign product up, pushing demand your way. The Steel Companies recently had (and still may have) this friendly tariff imposed a few years back. | ||
Philbert Member Username: Philbert Post Number: 424 Registered: 10-2003 |
^Japan doesn't have tariffs on imported cars | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 5772 Registered: 06-2004 |
Japan has about six months of red tape required, government support for domestic industry, and currency manipulation, among other market impediments. |
