GRANITE CITY (AP) — U.S. Steel Corp. has announced today that it will temporarily idle its Granite City plant and lay off its 2,080 workers for up to two months as the company completes a consolidation.
The Pittsburgh-based company announced the move will accommodate a consolidation of the company’s flat-rolled steel operations in North America.
Company spokeswoman Courtney Boone said the metro-east steel mill will temporarily close by or after May 28 and reopen at an undisclosed date. She said some of the laid off employees will also be added back at a later date to operate the reconsolidated plant, but could not disclose how many workers would be asked back or when.
Boone said various global economic factors have led the company to make the adjustments.
She notes there are a number of global economic influences including currency, imports, unfair trade and fluctuating oil prices that impact the tubular business, which Granite City Works supplies.
The metro-east steel mill began operation in 1878 as Granite City Steel. The company idled the plant for about seven months in 2009 during the recent recession.