- Published: Friday, December 11, 2015 03:32 PM
SPRINGFIELD – When US Steel announced last March it was going to temporarily idle its Granite City plant, Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) reacted quickly by filing a Senate resolution urging the president and Congress to review the national tariff policy on steel goods.
While the Granite City plant was able to avoid a temporary idle in May, bad news was delivered to the families across the Metro East just in time for the holiday season. The plant announced the temporary layoff of 2,000 workers. Senator Haine released the following statement:
“This is catastrophic,” Haine said. “I cannot emphasize enough how important the steel industry is to the Metro East, Illinois and the United States. The Granite City plant has been in the area for generations. If this plant closes I cannot imagine the negative impact it would have. Congress must do something to stop the dumping of Chinese steel into the American market. I am yet again calling on Congress and the president to do something about this. These trade practices are unfair and they result in Americans losing important, quality jobs.”
