SR0254 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0254 LRB099 11647 MST 33445 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Granite City Works steel mill has operated since 1878; it was originally founded by brothers William and Frederick Niedringhaus as the Granite Iron Rolling Mills, and most recently, owned by United States Steel Corporation; and

WHEREAS, The Granite City Works has been an industry leader in sheet steel products for customers in the construction, container, piping and tubing, service center, and automotive industries; and

WHEREAS, Granite City Works has an annual raw steelmaking capability of 2.8 million net tons; and

WHEREAS, Global influences in the market such as reduced steel prices, unfair trade practices, imports, and fluctuating oil prices, continue to have a dramatic negative impact on the steel production industry; and

WHEREAS, Domestic steelmakers continue to lose substantial sales to foreign countries, particularly China and South Korea, which have "dumped" their steel products into the United States market at prices below fair market value; and

WHEREAS, Due to these disruptions in the steel market, on March 25, 2015, United States Steel Corporation announced that it will temporarily idle the Granite City mill and lay off 2,080 steel workers by or after May 28, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Granite City Works is a vital part of the Metro-East economy, and the loss of this mill would be devastating to thousands of families and the financial well-being of the entire region; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the President of the United States and Congress to review the national tariff policy on steel goods and take action similar to the 2002 actions of President George W. Bush and Congress; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the President of the United States and Congress to consider all possible trade and economic policies to protect this vital American industry and minimize the financial impact on these hardworking men and women; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the President and Vice-President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives.