WTOV9.com reported that after nearly a year of being laid off, many local steelworkers packed into a public forum to learn more about where the industry is going. More than 100 people attended the meeting at Eastern Gateway Community College Friday afternoon. There, they learned, the road may be longer to bring all local plants back online.
Even though Severstal officials said they weren't coming to the forum, the company's president and general manager of government relations was there before the forum started. Mr Wilbur Winland said Severstal is committed to the Valley, but that didn't seem to calm steelworkers' concerns.
One steelworker said “Why don’t they look at who's been out of work the longest? Why don't they put us back to work and give us a fair chance.”
Mr Jim McLean, a steelworker said “I'm at that stage in my life where I can see the finish line but I don't know how to get there. I'm 60 years old. I'm too old to retrain and go into a new career.”
State Rep John Domenick, a Democrat from Smithfield, Ohio, said “I think that's what they were telling me. That, no, nothing is going to happen in 2010 unless market conditions change dramatically.”
Both Domenick and Ohio Sen Jason Wilson said they're trying to work with Severstal to bring local plants back to production, but they're facing challenges like foreign trade.
Lawmakers and union leaders said they are tossing around ideas to spark a restart by working with the Environmental Protection Agency on permits and enforcement; working with utilities to cut power costs; and asking Severstal to trim business at its other plants to put more local people back to work.
Currently, it's not clear if any option will work, which left many unemployed steelworkers feeling frustrated. Workers said they want definite answers about the plants' future straight from Severstal.
Mr Winland told NEWS9 before the forum, "I think we've been very upfront and honest with everybody that we're going to bring the plants on as we have the marketplace and the steel requirements we need."
When asked if there would be a chance for workers to purchase the plants, Mr Winland said he had no comment.
Severstal has requested contract negotiation and union officials will head to Pittsburgh next week to start that process.
(Sourced from WTOV9.com)
