Steel Products
February 25, 2013
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
For union watchers out there, the Baltimore Brew broke a story today regarding the International United Steelworkers placing USW Local 9477 in “administratorship” with the intention of removing all but one of the local union officials. There is a question as to what will happen with the assets of USW Local 9477 which owned a building worth approximately $2.1 million and has a reported $400,000 in cash assets from union dues collections. Both Local 9477 and the International President, Leo Gerard, had made some dubious decisions regarding ownership of what was once Bethlehem Sparrows Point. It was the union leadership which picked Esmark over CSN (first at Wheeling-Pittsburgh and then at Sparrows Point), fought Severstal when they wanted to bring Russian slabs to help save the SP plant and then approved RG Steel…
The next battle for the USW is in Canada – The contract at U.S. Steel Lake Erie Works – sister plant to Hamilton – which took an eight month strike/lockout the last time the contract came up – is up for renewal in mid-April. USS CEO John Surma did state in the last earnings conference call that they did not expect any issues with this contract renewal…
