GRANITE CITY, Il. — U.S. Steel announced Friday it will resume production at its Granite City plant, less than two weeks after announcing it would cease steel slab processing.
“As we shared earlier, our goal was to maintain flexibility, and we are pleased to have found a solution to continue slab consumption at Granite City,” a company statement reads.
In June, Japanese corporation Nippon Steel acquired U.S. Steel in a nearly $15 billion deal approved by President Donald Trump, adding a so-called “golden share” provision that gives the federal government a say in some matters.
Friday’s announcement guarantees the plant will continue processing steel slabs until at least 2027, but local leaders and union members gathered in Civic Park Saturday to urge federal officials to ensure the plant’s long-term success.
“Mr. President, I encourage you to pick up the phone. Have your staff call me. Set up the meeting here. Let’s start working together, as are Democrats or Republicans in Madison County, to make sure that these jobs stay right here,” Mike Parkinson, mayor of Granite City said. “We don’t want two years. We don’t want four years. We want forever.”
Both Granite City blast furnaces have been idle since 2023. Union officials say several hundred employees are still working at the plant, but supportive federal action would create jobs and make the plant a top profit-making location.
