Steel Mills

AK Steel Union Ratifies Contract at Ashland, Kentucky Works
Written by Sandy Williams
December 13, 2014
Members of USW Local 1865 have ratified a new contract at AK Steel. The 42-month labor agreement covers more than 800 hourly and maintenance employees at Ashland, Kentucky Works. The new contract will take effect on March 1, 2015 and expire Sept. 1, 2018.
“We are pleased that members of Local 1865 have ratified a new labor agreement at our Ashland Works well ahead of the expiration date,” said James L. Wainscott, Chairman, President and CEO of AK Steel. “This early agreement continues to provide a competitive contract for AK Steel and our Ashland Works employees.”
Ashland Works recently had their blast furnace (named Armada) return to full operation after having had the hearth relined. The 2,000,000 tons per year of pig iron production (approximately 2.1 million net tons of steel production through the BOF) coming back to full production along with furnaces at US Steel and ArcelorMittal has been one of the reasons why the current market is a little weaker than what we saw this time last year.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills

Nippon could up investment in USS facilities to $7B: Report
It's the latest twist as the proxy battle heats up for Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel.

Hybar expansion still on the table as Arkansas mill startup nears
As Hybar nears the completion of its $700-million rebar mill in Arkansas, the company said it is still “actively considering” building other steel facilities in the southern US.

Global steel production edges lower in February
February’s global raw steel output is tied with last December's for the fourth-lowest monthly production rate recorded over the past two years.

Fate of U.S. Steel hangs in the balance
The future of U.S. Steel remains unclear, but the proxy fight for control of the company is heating up. Shareholders will cast their votes on the company's future at the annual meeting in May.

Cliffs to idle Dearborn blast furnace, restart Cleveland furnace by July
Cleveland-Cliffs has decided to idle the steelmaking operations at its Dearborn Works in Michigan due to weak automotive demand.