'Will the Last Steelworker Out of Pittsburgh Please Turn Out the Light?'

Real Clear Politics ^ | 09/19/2023 | Salena Zito

[canucksvt]

CLAIRTON, Pennsylvania -- The first steel plant located here along the Monongahela River just over 20 miles south of Pittsburgh was built in 1901. By 1903, the borough of Clairton formed around the industry, and by 1904, U.S. Steel acquired the plant from St. Clair Steel, and the industrial base of America began its reign here in Western Pennsylvania.

[Hot Tabasco]

railroads (mostly built out by the 1920s),

Not quite accurate, there's always been a market for railway cars, the Budd Company (then spun off to become Transit America) made railway cars up until 1987 when they closed their doors after losing a major contract to your Bombardier which was allegedly subsidized by the Quebec government. Budd subsequently sold the division to Bombardier.

Bombardier then sold its train making division to French train giant Alstom SA back in 2020.

[SteelPSUGOP]

Sixty years ago, U.S. Steel peaked in employment (340,000) and output (35.8 million tons of steel). In 2022, it employed 15,000 (3,000 in the Pittsburgh area) and shipped 11 million tons of steel.

These figures are staggering. They make a 3rd of the tonnage with 1% of the workforce.

I started in steel in 1984. I can tell you both management and workers were spoiled rotten. The company I worked for had bonuses every year and every 5 years there was a supplimental bonus, either 7 weeks of vacation or 14 weeks, depending on how long you were there. This was above and beyond your normal vacation allowance. Just about everyone took the money rather than the time.

Just like today, Americans remain spoiled while the standard of living continues to errode........the the debt keeps piling up.

[desertsolitaire]

I’m believing that President Trumps push for the US as a net energy exporter by drilling and producing at home could revive American manufacturing including domestic steel production here. There are good reasons beyond just money for domestic production of essentials such as medicine, computer chips and steel. I would support the US in subsidizing these temporarily until they are able to sustain themselves in the world marketplace. Thoughts?

[HamiltonJay]

Oh no, you didn’t make quota and shut down your worked very slow and made sure it took the full shift to make quota. If you hit quota quickly your “friend” would beat the crap out of you for it.

[Leaning Right]

> made sure it took the full shift to make quota <

You’d think that would be the way it would be done. But not in the rolling mill where I worked, anyway. Everyone hustled until the quota was met. That mill was a busy, hopping place. The quota was met around five hours into an eight-hour shift.

Then the whole place shut down. As I noted earlier, the workers went and hid. The foremen got in their cars and went home. Shameful, actually,

In a sane world, the plant superintendent would either increase the quota or fire some workers. That never happened. My old mill is gone now. No mystery as to why.

[USS Alaska]

Meanwhile, foreign plants were modernizing. I worked in a rolling mill.

I was basically in the labor gang, but was assigned to the rolling mill for about three months.

I pulled a 6" x 6" x 10 foot piece of 1500 degree steel from the furnace using tongs hanging from an overhead rail, ran it over to the first set of roller and had to drop it so that the mill grabbed it and that started the rolling process.

If you missed the first set of 6 inch rollers, the guys working on the mill had to retrieve it and shove it in and they were not happy {I missed more than once and the crew pulled me off of the tongs, which was OK with me}.

I never liked the idea of sticking parts of my body close to a 1500 degree furnace but the other end of the rolling line was no picnic because by the time that the steel got to the end of the rollers {depending on the order} it was still over 1000 degrees but it was 30-60 feet long and as vicious as a hot snake if it touched your body.

The only thing worse that the rolling mill was the hammer shop {the noise of a nine ton hammer banging on a piece of hot steel was unbearable}.

When I graduated from college, the thought of working in a steel mill was the last thing on my mind {but my Dad was a member of the USW for over four decades}.

Unions were necessary at the start of the industrial revolution, but like every other power structure, the leaders got the benefits, the workers got the crumbs {but took advantage of the rules, and just like the story, killed the golden goose}.

[joe fonebone]

My thoughts???
EPA, IRS, OSHA, and many more...
ELIMINATE THEM!!!!
Get the government off the backs of American Business!!!!

Why are companies going offshore?
To avoid the petty little ministries that is the fed!!!!
The auto companies spend a billion dollars on a paint shop, and 600 million is to comply with air pollution laws!!!!
Really????

We can end this today!!
It all depends on the guy in the mirror.
Does he have the guts to do it?

We already know the answer to that question.
The answer is no.

[desertsolitaire]

Thank you.
What if President Trump, in a second term, gained us energy independence by drilling drilling, building pipelines fir oil and natural gas and built 100 new nuclear power plants? Could we be energy independent again, with $2 a gallon gasoline and make steel and everything else here too with cheap energy and fair labor prices that let middle class folks to succeed and good chances fir lower class to move up with some desire and effort on their part? Restore the American dream, provide jobs for all those here who want to work hard and move up to better their families? I think it could work and solve our demographic Social Security number problems too.