WEIRTON STEEL PLANT LOSING 800 JOBS

(11/30/2005)

Mittal Steel will not restart a furnace at its West Virginia operation in 2006. As US steel production continues to globalize, much of it to China, it will mean a permanent loss of 800 jobs to West Virginia. Steel was once West Virginia's biggest employer. Today, it is WalMart. Mittal told the Independent Steelworkers Union of its intentions yesterday. Union spokesman Dave Gossett said it did not provide specific numbers, but he will fight to keep the jobs in Weirton. Their furnace had been idled since July. Mittal said there is a slump in the steel market, and Weirton's steel costs are much too high for the globalized market, even with the union's attempt to reduce them. China, which continues to have some of the most disastrous mine worker incidents in the world, now says they have a surplus of steel to sell on the world market. The Bush administration is abandoning any protectionist promises it made during the election, which likely caused the rust belt to vote for Bush.

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