Union workers at Allegheny Technologies have been locked out of the company for more than four months after balking at concessions in the company’s final proposal. The lockout was an insult to USW workers who agreed to earlier concessions to bring a $1.2 billion steel rolling mill to Brackenridge, Pa. The mill was considered vital […]
AK Steel plans to begin layoffs at its plant in Ashland, Ky., during the week of Christmas. Scott Conley, President of USW Local 1865 said 615 to 620 people will be laid off and everyone should be out of the hot end of the plant by December 31. AK Steel executives blame the layoffs on […]
Allegheny Technologies announced it will take rightsizing actions to align its Flat Rolled Products operations to challenging market conditions. The standard stainless melt shop and sheet finishing operations at the Midland, Pa., facility will be idled in January 2016. The grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) operations in Bagdad, Pa., will be idled by April 2016. Restart […]
Based on Steel Market Update (SMU) analysis of the recently released MSCI service center inventory and shipment data, total service center carbon steel shipments decreased by 482,000 tons in November to 2.728 million tons. Shipping days at 20, were down by two from October. On a tons per day basis (t/d) shipments decreased from 145,900 […]
The United Steelworkers Bargaining Committee will return to Pittsburgh to review a new comprehensive contract proposal received from US Steel. Discussions during the past six months have bogged down over health care concessions that the company says are necessary to stay competitive under challenging market conditions. The Bargaining Committee plans to resume discussions next week […]
Layoffs at US Steel Granite City Works are expected to begin December 27, according to reports by USW leaders in the Dec. 10 Bellville News-Democrat. US Steel announced in October that it was considering idling the steel plant in Granite City and issued WARN notices to over 2000 workers. Shortly before Thanksgiving the company confirmed […]
Nucor Steel lost again its challenge to Big River Steel’s air permit. In its latest appeal, Nucor argued that the air permit process was flawed and that not enough consideration was given to pollution that Big River Steel would generate. An Arkansas Court of Appeals said on Wednesday that it found no abuse of discretion […]
A Delaware judge invalidated a patent by ArcelorMittal in a ruling favoring AK Steel in a dispute that has been ongoing for almost six years. The original suit, filed in January 2010 by ArcelorMittal, claimed that AK Steel’s lightweight, high-strength steel Ultralume, used in automotive applications, violated ArcelorMittal’s 2001 patent (patent 6,296,805—referred to as ‘805) […]
The following article was written by Xavier Boucherat and appeared in the Q4 2015 issue of Automotive Megatrends Magazine and is being reprinted by Steel Market Update with permission. It may be lighter, but aluminium is fundamentally a quick fix, and OEMs currently using aluminium will convert those parts back to steel to reduce mass […]
Mexican steelmaker, TYASA will begin construction of a Castrip facility at its Ixtaczoquitlan site near Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico. The excess melt capacity of TYASA’s Quantum Furnace will supply the Castrip thin-strip casting process. TYASA expects the new facility to have a production capacity of 500,000 tons of thin-gauge, high-strength, sheet steel that will supply local […]
A law suit filed by Cliffs Natural Resources against Essar Steel Algoma was dismissed without prejudice on Dec. 3 by the Court for the Northern District of Ohio, in recognition of Algoma’s current CCAA proceedings. The ruling includes the suit filed on January 12, 2015 by Cliffs for US $90 million and Essar Steel Algoma’s […]
USW workers received a letter from ArcelorMittal over the Thanksgiving holiday indicating that retiree premium contributions may be increased early next year. The overall purpose of the letter was to announce the open enrollment period for 2016, but the letter’s language was troubling to members. The USW sent an update reassuring workers that protections and […]
US Steel announced that Vice President – Service Center Solutions Geoff Turk will pursue other opportunities following the transition of the commercial entities during the realignment of its flat-rolled operations. Turk will lead the integration of the Industrial and Service Center Solutions teams and leave US Steel following completion of that project in first quarter […]
US Steel Corp is realigning its flat-rolled operations and management as part of its Carnegie Way transformation. The flat-rolled facilities will report through three consolidated commercial entities: Automotive Solutions, Consumer Solutions, and Industrial, Service Center and Mining Solutions. “The commercial entities have worked to position our company to be best-in-class in innovation, customer service and […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum has reached an agreement to purchase all of the outstanding capital stock of Tubular Steel, Inc., a distributor of carbon, alloy and stainless steel pipe, tubing and bar products. Tubular Steel is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri and has eight service center locations across the U.S. TSI net sales for 2014 […]
Essar Steel Algoma is asking that courts in Ontario and Delaware order Cliffs Natural Resources to reinstate shipments of ore that were terminated two months ago. Cliffs canceled its contract with Essar Steel Algoma in October claiming breach of contract and triggering Essar Algoma’s filing for CCAA protection. The steel mill is concerned that it […]
US Steel announced on Monday that it will follow through on its plans to temporarily idle the Granite City Works steelmaking and finishing operations located in Granite City, Ill. In a press release today, the company said the idling is “part of an on-going adjustment of steelmaking operations throughout North America to match customer demand.” […]
On Monday of this week, Steel Market Update conducted an interview with Michael McQuade, CEO for US Steel Canada. The purpose of our interview was to see if USSC will be a viable supplier for 2016 automotive contracts. Many times articles begin by our customers asking what might be construed as a simple question that […]
The USW and ArcelorMittal will take a break from contract talks over the Thanksgiving holiday and resume on November 29. The USW reminded the membership that the terms and conditions of the previous agreement remain in effect as negotiations continue. Said the USW in a membership update, “As we have reported in previous updates and […]
Shipments of all steel products out of the U.S. based steel service centers totaled 3,363,900 tons, according to the Metal Service Center Institute (MSCI) in data released on Monday. Total tonnage was up 3.2 percent compared to September but was down 14 percent year-over-year. The daily shipment rate was 152,900 tons which was 1.5 percent […]
The HARDI wholesalers held their monthly galvanized steel conference call earlier today. During the call the wholesalers provided insights into business conditions affecting the companies and discussed the status of the flat rolled steel markets. HARDI wholesalers supply galvanized sheet and coil steels to the mechanical contractors associated with residential and commercial construction in North […]
Canadian shipments for all steel products in the month of October were 422,400 net tons, a decrease of 6.5 percent from the month before and decrease of 18.3 percent from October 2014. Inventories at the end of the month stood at 1,355,300 tons, down 7.3 percent from last month and down 12.3 percent from the […]
Based on Steel Market Update (SMU) analysis of the recently released MSCI service center inventory and shipment data, total service center carbon steel shipments increased by 104,700 tons in October to 3.201 million tons. Shipping days at 22, were up by one from September. On a tons per day basis (t/d) shipments decreased from 147,900 […]
USW/ArcelorMittal talks are continuing this week with meetings scheduled through Friday, November 20. Healthcare benefits will be the focus of discussions. The USW reminded members that the extension of the existing contract with the US Steel remains in force and that the company remains bound by the basic labor agreement, including grievance procedures. Retirees received […]
USW/ArcelorMittal talks are continuing this week with meetings scheduled through Friday, November 20. Healthcare benefits will be the focus of discussions. The USW reminded members that the extension of the existing contract with the US Steel remains in force and that the company remains bound by the basic labor agreement, including grievance procedures. Retirees received […]
US Steel Canada presented its arguments against revealing the confidential settlement between USSC, US Steel and the government of Canada. In a response filed with the Court of Appeal for Ontario on November 11, 2015, US Steel Canada asked that the appeal by the USW, USSC employees and pensioners, and the City of Hamilton be […]
Essar Steel Algoma announced Monday that it has entered Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) protection. It is the third time Algoma will seek restructuring under CCAA—the first time in 1991 and again in 2001. In November 2014 Algoma completed a recapitalization and refinancing plan supported by Essar Global Fund Ltd. Essar Algoma has struggled to […]
The lockout of USW employees at Allegheny Technologies is now in its 13th week. The USW has registered 18 complaints against ATI to the National Labor Relations Board charging unfair labor practices. The charges include, among others, refusal to bargain, coercive statements, repudiation/modification of contract, and lockout. To find out more about the process, SMU […]
ArcelorMittal USA has introduced a new Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) for non-represented salaried employees, effective January 1, 2016. Employee contributions for single coverage under CDHP will average $65 per month and family coverage will be $198 per month. ArcelorMittal says the plan is still highly competitive with other plans in the industry. Employees will […]
Olympic Steel reported a net loss of $600,000 for third quarter but managed to expand gross margin 21.2 percent, compared to Q3 2104, despite pressure on pricing and volume. Olympic lowered operating expenses by almost $20 million so far in 2015 as well as lowering debt by a total of $60 million. Sales volume decreased […]