Steel Mills
AK Steel to Idle Dearborn Furnace and Rockport Works
Written by Sandy Williams
March 29, 2020
AK Steel will idle the C blast furnace at Dearborn Works beginning this week for an undetermined period of time. Dearborn has been impacted by recent shutdowns in the automotive industry and has been criticized for its handling of safety measures during the coronavirus crisis. At least one employee at Dearborn has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
UAW Local 600 posted a notice to members on Friday that operations will be idled and commended Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves for “making the decision to put our people’s health and safety first.”
Additionally, UAW Local 3044 received notice that effective March 31 AK Steel Rockport Works will reduce operations for approximately two weeks, resulting in the layoff of 48 employees. Rockport Works produces cold-rolled carbon, coated and stainless steel products.
Cleveland-Cliffs, parent of AK Steel, faced criticism by Michigan lawmakers that the company was not doing enough to protect its workers at Dearborn. U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) and Rashida Tlaib (D-13th District), state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) and state Sens. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) put out a joint statement that said:
“Nothing is more important than protecting people’s health during this pandemic. We are extremely concerned about reports of inadequate health and safety measures at the AK Steel plant in Dearborn. We are calling on the new parent company to immediately institute proper health and safety measures, including regular cleaning of the facility, proper social distancing, evaluating which workers should not be considered ‘essential’ and should return home, and more. The company must develop these precautionary measures and communicate them clearly to every worker as soon as possible. Every company in Michigan needs to do its part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent this pandemic from becoming worse. Cleveland-Cliffs, do the right thing, now.”
Cleveland-Cliffs said it is working with the employee union to reduce potential exposure to the virus. “(We are) doing the right things for the preservation of our 12,000 employees across all our operations, Dearborn included,” said the company in a statement. “Being a vital business for our country’s economic stability and local Dearborn economy, Cleveland-Cliffs is committed to keeping our workforce safe while the company continues to operate. We have a company medical director on staff that is advising the management team, as well as continually monitoring the COVID-19 health issue.”
Dearborn Works has a daily capacity of 6,000 net tons.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
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.
CRU: Tata Steel looks to shed 1,600 jobs in the Netherlands
The company said, “The challenging demand conditions in Europe driven by geopolitical developments, trade and supply chain disruptions and escalating energy costs have affected the operating costs and financial performance."