What should our local leaders and Governor do in your opinion? Let them shut down without saying anything? Offer loans? Bailouts? Postpone property taxes? Buy a bunch of steel or vehicles? Nothing at all? We have $160 million in cash, should it sit on ice while 2,000 or more employees are laid off?
Here's the starter, ready for some lively debate on what could be whole lot more important than our normal political discourse.
BURNS HARBOR, Ind. (AP) _ As many as 2,444 employees at ArcelorMittal's steel plant could be laid off indefinitely in January, the company said.
The company has notified the United Steelworkers and other stakeholders about the possibility of an "indefinite layoff" at the Porter County plant beginning in the second half of January, ArcelorMittal announced Friday.
The recent drop-off in global steel production and the company's previously announced plan to reduce production in North American by 40 percent played into the decision, the company said.
"Potential work force reductions are a direct result of the extraordinary economic environment we are facing, and the company hopes to return workers to their jobs as market conditions warrant," ArcelorMittal said in a statement.
Jim Robinson, director of United Steelworkers District 7, said the union is negotiating with ArcelorMittal to minimize the number of layoffs.
"Any discussion about the ultimate nature of what will happen is premature," Robinson said.
Word of the potential layoffs had spread through the Burns Harbor plant over the past few days, Robinson said.
Union leaders at the international level "certainly knew what was going on," Robinson said. "They see the fact there aren't any orders. We're not making a lot of steel."
The global economic downturn that prompted the cut in steel production calls for action by elected officials, Robinson said.
"They need to step up to the plate and quit worrying about investment bankers and CEOs and start acting on behalf of average, middle-class American workers," Robinson said.
The Burns Harbor plant is located 10 miles east of Gary.
1 comment:
Let's answer a question with an article in today's paper:
BURNS HARBOR | ArcelorMittal's plan to lay off up to 2,444 workers at its Burns Harbor plant may go to arbitration or to the courts, said an angry union representative said Saturday.
Paul Gipson, president of United Steelworkers Local 6787 at the Burns Harbor facility, said he has been discussing the layoff plan with company officials for five weeks, trying to stop ArcelorMittal from filing the notice of potential layoffs with the state.
"But they had their minds made up," he said. "The company is in violation of the (USW) contract by not following the conditions and guidelines of the labor agreement. They didn't fulfill their obligation. We plan to take this to arbitration, and maybe it will end up in the courts. If they fail and we win, they'll have to pay back-pay to everyone they laid off."
An ArcelorMittal spokeswoman could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Gipson said he spoke to USW international President Leo Gerard and District 1 Director Dave McCall on Saturday morning, and they agree the matter will be challenged and that the union will "put the best lawyers it has on the case."
"We know there's a problem, and we're willing to do what we need to do," Gipson said. "They have 60 days to sit down with us and do what's right."
The company could spread the layoffs between other plants, put workers on four-day weeks, take away all overtime or do many other things rather than lay off two-thirds of Burns Harbor's hourly workers, Gipson said.
"Management has an obligation to share the pain so we can work through this, and that's not happening," he said. "There's a lot of things I suggested they've ignored. It's not close to being fair."
None of the plants 900 salaried work force is being laid off, despite that only about 1,000 workers will remain if the company lays off 2,444 hourly workers, he said.
"This is huge, unbelievable," Gipson said. "This is going to have huge impact on the community, the tax base and a lot of people -- not just steelworkers."
Gipson said the company plans to keep only the plate mill and the coke ovens operating at Burns Harbor. Those two facilities are manned by about 1,000 workers.
Comments:
Pot calling the kettle black with regards to the poor labor union negotiating a big deal and possibly being renegged on because business is off.
Does the union have a loan program, a bailout plan, a benevolence fund to help theirs before they ask for more?
Did the union negotiate on behalf of the salaried employees they are now whining about? Those employees also live and pay taxes in this region. So when union labor wages and benefits were negotiated did their leaders realize they were raising the costs of products beyound their competitors (domestic and foreign)? That typically makes it even more difficult for anyone to stay employed.
When those previous negotiations were achieved, did the union leadership educate employees on how to save and invest and prepare for times like these? Did they encourage employees to seek further education in preparation for the chance that this would happen? This is not the first time you know.
As a salaried employee, when I am laid off it is "definitely" not "indefinitely" with the hope that someone will negotiate with the company leadership and or use the taxpayers court system to keep my job. I don't have a union.
Maybe this is the time for everyone to quit blaming and admit that all have sinned and we need to correct our attitudes for everyone's benefit.
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