ArecelorMittal to lay off 340 steelworkers in Cleveland

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/12/arecelormittal_to_lay_off_340.html

Posted by Frank Bentayou/Plain Dealer Reporter December 04, 2008


Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer Steel workers cross the grounds of ArcelorMittal's steel plant in the Flats on Thurs. Dec. 4, 2008. The steelmaker will begin laying off workers tomorrow

CLEVELAND - A total of 340 ArecelorMittal steelworkers will lose their jobs by week's end as orders for steel dry up worldwide, the union says.

Those workers will join 110 who voluntarily accepted layoffs from the sprawling plant, bringing to 450 the number of United Steelworkers Union members idled there indefinitely.

"Nobody's buying steel, so it doesn't make sense to make it and let it just sit there," said Dan Boone, 55, who has worked at the plant for 36 years under various owners. In the past, Republic Steel operated the facility, then LTV and now the world's largest steelmaker, AreclorMittal, based in Luxembourg.

Boone, a resident of Strongsville and vice president of USW Local 979, said this is the first time since fall 2001 that both blast furnaces have been out of operation. That was when LTV shut the plant down then went out of business.

The local's president, Mark Granakis, said he received a letter from Terry Fedor, the plant's general manager, informing him of the latest worker cutbacks.

"In this case, we can't say it's a matter of mismanagement or that the company is going to close permanently," Granakis said in his office at the union hall. "It's just the business climate right now."

FULL story at link.

[lib2DaBone]

1. This is so sad... these plants are the backbone of our great country..

Thanks for the link. I grew up there. I knew many families who relied on that mill for a good livelihood. My Uncle owned a Tavern on Harvard Ave. and served whiskey and hot food to the mill workers at 7 a.m.... as they came off the night shift.

It's a national disgrace.. how the Republicans.. since Ronald Reagan.. took this country and nose-dived it into the ground. I blame it on a willing and corrupt CONgress and a compliant media.

The word "Anger" doesn't even begin to express the feelings.