Budzinski Applauds Restart of Granite City Works Blast Furnace After Continued Pressure

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released the following statement after news that U.S. Steel will be restarting one of the two blast furnaces at Granite City Works. This development is expected to reinstate hundreds of employees who were awaiting return to the plant. 

“This year, I stood with the proud men and women of the USW to demand real investment in Granite City and a path forward for the plant,” said Budzinski. “At every step, we raised our voices together, and that persistence paid off. I’m encouraged by the decision to restart one of the furnaces and bring back the workers – it shows that advocacy and collective action make a difference. While this is good news for production on a temporary basis, we need more than short-term fixes. We need a long-range commitment and investment that ensures the skilled workers of Granite City have the future and assurances they’ve earned. That’s exactly what I plan to fight for.”

Since taking office, Budzinski has worked closely with the United Steelworkers (USW) to protect the future of Granite City Works and safeguard the jobs it supports. When the initial U.S. Steel–Nippon deal was announced without plans for investment in Granite City, Budzinski joined local USW leaders in demanding long-term commitments and a meaningful role for steelworkers in negotiations. After the acquisition, U.S. Steel signaled it would stop supplying slabs to Granite City Works – threatening the plant’s continued operation. In response, Budzinski and the USW pressed the company to reverse course, and U.S. Steel ultimately announced it would continue slab deliveries to the site.

###