Metro East Sun

Erica Harriss, a candidate for the Illinois Senate, voiced her opposition to United States Steel Corporation’s plan to close the Granite City Steel mill.

“I want the people of Granite City and the workers at Granite City Steel to know that I will stand with them, I will fight with them, and I will demand an end to the liberal policies of (President) Joe Biden and (Governor) J.B Pritzker that have betrayed our families, caused lasting damage to the local economy, and sold the precious fruit of their labor overseas,” Harriss said to Metro East Sun.

The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) wrote Illinois is one of several states with high numbers of steel mills.

U.S. Steel’s announcement on Tuesday came after the Biden administration had lifted some of President Donald Trump’s steel tariffs and days after the administration stated that they planned to eliminate tariffs on other Chinese imports.

EERE added the U.S steel industry needs coal and natural gas for fuel.

United Steelworkers (USW), the union that represents the workers of the Granite City plant and 1.2 million other workers and retirees across North America, disapproves of the plan.

U.S. Steel told the Pittsburg Business Times only 550 remaining would remain out of the 1,500 jobs at the plant.

“It is another tale in a long string of betrayals by the company, which has permanently closed nearly two-thirds of the assets it acquired from National Steel along with other acquisitions,” USW International President Thomas Conway said to the Business Times.

Generations of Harriss’ family have worked at Granite City Steel. Her grandfather made his career there as an industrial engineer while her father and uncles worked there at the beginning of their careers.

“I was distraught it was terrible,” Andrew Carnahan, a Granite City U.S. Steel worker, said to KMOV4. “I was born and raised here in Granite City. The company is showing record profits and they show thanks to the workers by getting rid of us. Unfortunately, this is kind of the only show in town, and we understand the reality of that. I just had a baby about five months ago, and I was looking forward to staying here — raising my family.”

Steelworkers Local 1899 President Dan Simmons told KMOX, “through the pandemic, we’ve done nothing but make them record history profits." Simmons continued, "And instead of putting money back into our facilities where they could've helped us out in the long term, they've taken those profits and went down to Arkansas and they're going to turn their backs on the employees that have saved them."

Reuters wrote that Granite City Steel received support from the previous U.S. president’s tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum back in 2018. It brought employees back to the mill.

Currently, there are 1,400 employees at Granite City steel mill. Only 100 will be needed in Arkansas and SunCoke would hire about 400 leaving around 900 or so without a job.

“The shutdown of steelmaking and finishing operations at Granite City Works is a betrayal by USS of its workers and the Granite City Community,” Simmions said in a press release posted on Facebook.

The deal still needs the board and government approvals.