GRANITE CITY, Ill. – We’re learning more about what’s next for the hundreds of steelworkers facing layoffs in Granite City. Two people close to the situation tell FOX 2 they feel there is reason for workers to stay optimistic.
The head of the local steelworkers union and another local official said they are optimistic there will be jobs available for the affected employees, whether it’s at the steel mill or not.
News Tuesday that U.S. Steel would be laying off hundreds of people in Granite City left many, including the steelworkers themselves, stunned. One worker told FOX 2 they found out about the layoffs from watching the news. Another worker, Keith Snow, said he is stuck in a holding pattern.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen if I’m one of the few that stay or go,” Snow said.
U.S. Steel employee Scott Coleman is angry at the company for the way they’ve handled these recent layoffs.
“It’s terrible. There’s a lot of guys out of work and struggling during Christmastime. And it’s not a way the company should treat their employees,” Coleman said.
But Local 1899 Steelworkers Union President Dan Simmons said there is reason for hope.
“We’ve been through the indefinite idle, and indefinite means, ‘I don’t know,” he said.
Simmons thinks idleness may not be the crushing blow people think it is. He points to the high price of steel right now as a good sign and to the fact that the winter months are usually slow for the steel industry anyway. He’s hopeful that with a shift in the market, the Granite City facility could be back up and running sooner rather than later.
“It’s volume-driven. So, if we get more orders, there would be no reason for anyone—whether it’s U.S. Steel or even a potential new buyer looming around the corner, there is that potential—for us not to start up,” Simmons said.
Whether the plant stays idle or not, Director of Madison County Employment and Training Tony Fuhrmann said they can help.
“There’s still lots of opportunity in this area for employment and people looking for employees,” he said.
Fuhrmann said they can link these workers up with more than $30,000 worth of aid for career retraining. He said there are manufacturing and even other steel mill jobs available in the area.
The big obstacles? Fuhrmann said steelworkers are well-paid and take real pride in working for U.S. Steel.
“It’s multi-generational. It’s like Anheuser-Busch. Grandpa worked there, dad worked there, and now I work there,” Fuhrmann said.
Fuhrmann said they are available to help anyone looking for a job. He said they will have rapid response workshops for the affected steelworkers in the coming months to help them identify new career paths and connect them with the resources they need to succeed.
