Welcome Back, Stelco - Page 10

markbarbera · #**181** Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 11:43 AM**

Five pages (and almost two years) back in these posts I stated the downturn with US Steel was temporary and that the layoffs would be recalled by Spring 2010, which has occurred. Yesterday's news of the sale of the remaining idle facilities to Max Aicher confirms that the steel industry is not about to disappear from Hamilton any time soon. On the contrary, I expect significant growth in the industry during the next decade. While it will never be the top employer for Hamilton, I suspect it will remain a top ten employer (and significant corporate tax contributor) for some time yet.

Hamilton does need to diversify and increase its employment base, but certainly not at the expense of existing employers. And call me old fashoined but there is value in a domestic steel industry, both economically and ecologically. After, what would be the carbon cost of abandoning local steel production and relying soley on steel produced and exported from India and China, nations not exactly known for their labour safety and pollution control laws? No matter, so long as we don't have an eyesore on the waterfront I suppose...

SteelTown · #**182** Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 1:15 PM**

Factories don’t have to be an eyesore, look at Liberty's proposal. In Quebec City they have big factories but it's well maintained and clean. Lots of grass and trees.

US Steel did a great job painting the exterior all blue. That's a good step. National Steel with rainbow coloured smokestacks is another example. Bunge new expansion is another great example, very clean and lots of grass.

Bad example -> Columbian Chemicals

SteelTown · #**183** Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 6:48 PM**

New steel to roll out of Hamilton by Sept.

April 29, 2010
BY STEVE ARNOLD
Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/760416

New steel could be flowing through two idled Hamilton mills before the end of September.

The president of the German company buying the U. S. Steel Canada facilities said he plans to have the plants staffed and operating by the third quarter of the year once government approvals and permits have been received and workers hired.

Thomas Fetzer, president of Max Aicher (North America) Inc., said he expects to hire between 150 and 200 people for the first phase of the Hamilton project, with more in the future as business demands.

“We hope to move forward quickly on this,” he said. “We think we are going to have a real advantage in Hamilton because it is the steel capaital of Canada. People here know steel and we can use that knowledge.”

On Wednesday U. S. Steel Canada announced the sale of its No. 1 bar mill and No. 3 bloom and billet mill to the Aicher group. The plants have been idle since Janaury 2009, but Fetzer said they have been kept in good shape and can be brought back to life quickly.

“U. S. Steel has kept them in very good shape,” Fetzer said. “We are going to have hot bars in those mills by the third quarter.”

markbarbera · #**184** Posted **Sep 30, 2010, 8:39 PM**

Sounds like U.S. Steel is gearing up to lockout United Steelworkers Local 1005... just in time for Christmas. God bless America!

Quote:

U.S. Steel to turn off blast furnace

U.S. Steel has said it will shut down the factory’s last functioning blast furnace and steel making operation in Hamilton because of market conditions.

The company said it notified the union that all workers are expected to report for work but refused to say what they will be doing while at the plant.

Rolf Gerstenberger, president of 1005 USW, said he expects workers to be completing training updates and said that the company told him the furnace would be extinguished on Monday.

He added that it takes an average of three weeks to re-start the blast furnace if shut down to cold.

Watch thespec.com for updates

http://www.thespec.com/news/business...-blast-furnace

hammergirl · #**185** Posted **Oct 1, 2010, 12:10 PM**

The blast furnace is basically shut down already. Minimal activity there yesterday. They just put brand new lighting in less than a month ago.

There's been a lot of work going on at the Number 1 Bar Mill but I don't know if it is Max Aicher or US Steel still cleaning it out.

SteelTown · #**186** Posted **Nov 1, 2010, 1:23 PM**

So do you guys think US Steel is getting ready to completely shut down Stelco for good?

If so I think we should prepare to get US Steel to pay for the brownfield cleanup, probably a minimum of $100 million just for the clean up.

mattgrande · #**187** Posted **Nov 1, 2010, 2:38 PM**

My dad works at US Steel, Lake Erie. He says "probably." They're going to lock them out for sure.

markbarbera · #**188** Posted **Nov 1, 2010, 11:08 PM**

U.S. Steel is getting ready for a lockout, that is a certainty. However, the nature in which they are preparing for a lockout indicates they do not intend to mothball their Hamilton facility permanently. This will be a prolonged union-busting loackout. Post-lockout, the nature of what is produced may change at Wilcox, but there will still be U.S. Steel operating there.

hammergirl · #**189** Posted **Nov 3, 2010, 12:03 AM**

All the scrap steel has been shipped to Lake Erie. If they were planning on resuming steel making anytime soon, they would have kept the scrap in the yard.

coalminecanary · #**190** Posted **Nov 3, 2010, 4:29 PM**

I predict stelco never re-opens after this

but don't worry, I'm sure all the workers can get jobs driving forklifts up at the aerotropolis!

markbarbera · #**191** Posted **Nov 3, 2010, 11:12 PM**

US Steel will resume operations once they get the contract and pension concessions they want from the union. I expect operations will resume come spring, depending on how long the union holds out.

US Steel is definitely not anticipating a permanent closure here. The company has its salaried staff in working 24/7 shifts on two-week rotations and they are keeping the coke ovens running, something they did not do when they shut operations in Hamilton last year. This indicates to me that they intend to start up again quickly once the lockout is over and the concessions have been won.

mattgrande · #**192** Posted **Nov 5, 2010, 1:57 PM**

http://www.thespec.com/news/business...el-offer-union

US Steel has put forth an offer, but the Union isn't likely going to vote for it.

mattgrande · #**193** Posted **Nov 8, 2010, 1:21 AM**

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...lockout-begins

The lockout has begun as of 7PM tonight.

go_leafs_go02 · #**194** Posted **Nov 8, 2010, 10:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgrande

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...lockout-begins

The lockout has begun as of 7PM tonight.

even made the news here in Vancouver.

durandy · #**195** Posted **May 28, 2011, 2:59 AM**

there may be justice in the world after all: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/busines...830/story.html

mattgrande · #**196** Posted **May 29, 2011, 8:49 PM**

Quote:

U.S. Steel has argued that the government’s actions, such as introducing the idea of a $10,000-a-day fine against the company, violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Anyone know what basis they have for this? I'm far from being an expert, but I don't know of anything like that in the Charter.

durandy · #**197** Posted **May 30, 2011, 12:58 AM**

I don't think there is anything remotely like that in the Charter. Equality rights don't apply to corporations as far as I know. The basis may be totally lacking then, maybe a delaying tactic in hopes that a new govt would sink the lawsuit.

SteelTown · #**198** Posted **Aug 12, 2011, 12:34 AM**

Council refuses to bend on U.S. Steel deadline

http://www.thespec.com/news/business...steel-deadline

City council is giving U.S. Steel 30 days to find a way to finish a critical water treatment plant at the former Stelco mills.

Failing to meet that deadline could trigger a series of “catastrophic” events leading to the final closure of the company.

Councillors decided Thursday not to give U.S. Steel an extension to a special agreement that lets it pay Hamilton to detoxify some of the company’s sewage rather than treat it on site. Instead, they demanded the company show it has tried to find a way of getting the on-site plant finished.

Without that extension, company spokesman Trevor Harris told councillors, U.S. Steel cannot continue to operate its coke oven battery and shutting the battery down “could be catastrophically fatal” to both the facility and the future of the plant.

“Because of the nature of a coke-making facility, it is extremely difficult and extremely problematic to shut it down,” Harris said. “The experience in the industry is that idling a coke battery can be catastrophically fatal to the facility.”

bornagainbiking · #**199** Posted **Sep 14, 2011, 11:43 AM**

So at least they are talking.
No one is going to be happy, but if the plant is up and running, there are jobs.
Times have changed and so has world markets and competition and I think so should attitudes.
Canada will have to shine on the world market to rise as a leader and I know Hamilton has that spirit.
Buy Canadian because it will be the best.
Good luck..

SteelTown · #**200** Posted **Oct 11, 2011, 3:38 PM**

Tentative deal reached at US Steel

US Steel and its union have reached a tentative agreement.

Mayor Bob Bratina and Councillor Scott Duvall made the announcement at Tuesday morning’s committee meeting at City Hall, followed by a news release from the union.

Duvall, a former union president at a Stelco subsidiary, said the company and the 1005 steelworkers agreed to a new deal yesterday. Details won’t be made public until the union members have an opportunity to ratify the proposed contract.

In its news release the union said a meeting will be held Wednesday at Michelangelo’s banquet centre on Upper Ottawa Street at 7 pm.