Budzinski Statement on Idling of Granite City Steel Plant

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) issued the following statement on news that U.S. Steel will be idling the B furnace at Granite City Works resulting in temporary layoffs for hundreds of employees.

“U.S. Steel’s decision to idle operations in Granite City and lay off workers is an outrage. And their effort to blame this announcement on the United Auto Workers strike is a shameful attempt to pit working people against one another. We must hold them accountable. 

“No company should be allowed to hand a pink slip to workers without notice and without recourse. In Congress, I’m actively working to strengthen the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and improve assistance available to impacted workers through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). My team and I stand ready to assist the steelworkers affected by this announcement. 

“I’ve been in touch with U.S. Steel, the United Steelworkers and the Mayor of Granite City as we continue to learn more about the extent of layoffs and the resources available to those put out of work. I believe in the working men and women of Granite City and the importance of their careers to the future of our local and national economy. I will never stop fighting to protect their jobs and their livelihoods.” 

###