Steel Mills

Job Cuts at Essar Steel Algoma
Written by Sandy Williams
February 14, 2015
USW Local 2251 reports that Essar Steel Algoma is terminating 55 positions due to a decline in plate steel orders. According to a report by Soo Today, most of the employees have not completed their probationary period.
The job cuts follow an announcement Jan. 23 confirming a contract for 1500 tonnes of plate for construction of six Canadian Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships. At that time, Essar also announced plans to restart the #6 blast furnace by November 2015.
The company said it planned to add nearly 200 jobs in April to prepare for the restart and to meet production demand. Essar has asked the city of Sault Ste. Marie to contribute $1 million towards the upgrade and restart of the blast furnace, citing the economic benefits the investment would bring to the region. Addition of the #6 blast furnace would increase Essar Steel Algoma’s production by 1 million tons.
USW Local 2251 President Mike DaPrat said that Essar hopes to rehire the terminated workers during the April hiring if market conditions allow.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills

Nucor names Batterbee, Bledsoe to HR roles
Nucor Corp. has promoted Thomas J. Batterbee to the position EVP of human resources and talent and appointed Elizabeth Bledsoe to the newly created position of president of human resources and talent.

Millett sees tariffs, CORE case benefiting SDI
Steel Dynamics' top exec thinks Trump’s tariff policies, as well as the results from the recent CORE case, will prove advantageous to the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker and aluminum company.

USW digs in on opposition to USS-Nippon deal
“We remain deeply concerned about the national and economic security implications of the subject transaction,” the union stated in the letter dated April 21.

SDI’s Q1 earnings slump on-year, but up sequentially
SDI earnings slip in first quarter year over year, but are up sequentially.

POSCO inks MoU with Hyundai on Louisiana EAF mill
POSCO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyundai Motor Group that includes an equity investment in Hyundai’s previously announced EAF mill set to be built in Louisiana.