American steel workers, including members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union, urged Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and other key officials to complete vital national security investigations into steel and aluminum imports during an in-person meeting at the Commerce Department on Wednesday.
Responding to an alarming import crisis resulting from global overcapacity, the Trump administration announced the Section 232 investigations back in April and pledged quick action. But delays continue, and steel imports have surged more than 21 percent since the Section 232 investigation was announced.
The 14 workers, who come from steel facilities in states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Minnesota, Kentucky and Michigan, told Ross how the steel import surge and now the delay in completing the investigation has devastated their communities. As imports continue to rise, major steelmaking operations have idled, and tens of thousands of steelworkers have faced layoffs.
“Steelworkers cannot wait any longer. President Trump and his team promised quick action, and now is the time for them to deliver,” said USW International Vice President Tom Conway. “Jobs and entire communities are at stake, as is our national security. If we don’t get a handle on these imports now, America will continue to lose the steelmaking operations we need for our military and critical infrastructure.”
Along with Ross, who joined the meeting by telephone, the steel workers also met with Earl Comstock, director of Office of Policy and Strategic Planning at the Commerce Department.
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries, including metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, mining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/.
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