Local

U.S. Steel will idle plants in McKeesport, Texas

McKEESPORT, Pa. — U.S. Steel will stop work at two tubular steel manufacturing facilities and the company has filed a complaint about unfair competition from foreign firms.

The company on Monday said it will idle facilities indefinitely in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and Bellville, Texas, starting in August. U.S. Steel will eliminate about 260 jobs as a result -- an estimated 180 of those will be from Pittsburgh.

“I've directed the secretary of labor and industry for Pennsylvania to take action and deploy our rapid response workforce teams to help identify new opportunities for those skilled and loyal workers," Gov. Tom Corbett said Monday afternoon.

It’s upsetting for Nicole Gagich to watch what she calls her hometown’s rapid decline.

“It’s a very depressed area. We keep losing jobs and losing people. New businesses aren’t going to come in here and it’s going to make an already bad situation even worse,” Gagich said.

Tubular steel is primarily used by oil, gas, and petrochemical companies.

United States Steel Corp. has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Commerce to stop "unfair trade by foreign competitors" on the American market. The Pittsburgh company said the complaint was joined by other domestic tubular steel makers.

The closings will leave U.S. Steel with eight tubular steel facilities nationwide.

Late Monday night, the McKeesport mayor issued the following statement, "I am disheartened and saddened by the news released Monday afternoon by the United States Steel Corporation. It is with regret that I have fielded many phone calls from friends and residents whose lives will become tougher as a result of this decision."

WPXI

Most Read