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General Information

On Dec. 19, 2019, we announced our intent to indefinitely idle a significant portion of our Great Lakes Works operation in 2020. No employees will be affected before April 2020 as a result of this decision. 

These decisions are never easy, nor are they taken lightly.  However, we must responsibly manage our resources while also strengthening our company’s long-term future – a future many stakeholders depend on.

We are announcing this decision now, so that we can provide our employees with several months to prepare for the transition. This site was developed to help support employees impacted by this action, we will continue to update this site as more information becomes available.

To help lessen the impact, U. S. Steel is providing extensive benefits and support to our employees. Certain benefits will depend on whether you are a represented or non-represented employee, the length of your service with the company, and subject to the terms of the applicable plans.  In general, the benefits available to eligible affected employees will include:

 

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Available Benefits & Helpful Links

Temporary wage replacement

In accordance with terms of applicable SUB program

Continued health coverage

Including medical, dental, and vision care

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Continued access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Continued retirement contributions

Continued retirement contributions to the Steelworker Pension Trust (represented only)

Full 401(k) vesting

Full vesting of any company contributions to the 401(k) plan

Skills enhancement / Job retraining programs

Available through Institute for Career Development (represented only)

Outplacement support

Job search coaching and related support

Career opportunities

Career opportunities at other U. S. Steel facilities, including relocation assistance

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Frequently Asked Questions

While this was not an easy decision, it supports our strategy to become a world-competitive, “best of both” company by combining leading integrated and mini-mill technology.  We must responsibly manage our resources, while also strengthening our company’s long-term future.  This includes focusing on core assets within our North American Flat-Rolled segment designed to deliver cost and/or capability differentiation.

The decision also illustrates our capacity to be nimble and accelerate key aspects of our strategy when market conditions warrant.  In this case, current market conditions and the long-term outlook for Great Lakes Works made it imperative that we take this deliberate but difficult step to adjust our operations so we can better align our resources across our footprint.  Transitioning production currently at Great Lakes Works to Gary Works will enable increased efficiency in the use of our assets, improve our ability to meet our customers’ needs for sustainable steel solutions, and will help our company get to where we want to be faster.
 

Under the plan, the iron and steelmaking facilities would be idled on or around April 1, 2020, and the Hot Strip Mill rolling facility would be idled before the end of 2020.


We currently expect to continue operating the following areas of the plant: the Pickle Line, Cold Mill, Sheet Temper Mill, Continuous Galvanizing Line (CGL), Annealing, and Warehouses.
 

We are announcing this decision now to provide our employees with as much time as possible to prepare for this transition.  We will also be taking steps in the weeks and months ahead to assist impacted employees with additional education about the benefits offered by our company, as well as available community resources.

U. S. Steel has a comprehensive set of benefits for both represented and non-represented employees in the event of an involuntary termination.  The program, often referred to as the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit, or “SUB,” program offers eligible employees numerous benefits, which include:

  • Temporary wage/Salary replacement in accordance with the terms of applicable Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Program designed to work in conjunction with state unemployment benefits
  • Continued health coverage, including medical, dental, and vision care
  • Outplacement support
  • Career opportunities at other U. S. Steel facilities, includes relocation assistance
  • Continued retirement contributions to the Steelworker Pension Trust (represented only)
  • Skills enhancement/job retraining programs (represented only)
  • Continued access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

 

Additional details and Frequently Asked Questions can be found in the following attachments:

  • For represented employees, click here
  • For non-represented employees, click here
  • Please note: If you are a non-represented employee with a legacy defined benefit pension, additional information will be provided to you at a later time.  

If your position is being impacted as a result of the indefinite idling, you will be notified after final determinations have been made.  Additional information will be provided to you directly at that time.  This will include a detailed overview of the applicable SUB program, the specific benefits that apply to you, and instructions on how to enroll in benefit coverage.  

More FAQs

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Updates

  • 12/19/2019

U. S. Steel Announces Operational Adjustment at Great Lakes Works

More updates