U.S. Steel Will Resume Slab Processing

GraniteCityGossip.com, September 19, 2025

U.S. Steel will resume slab processing at its Granite City Works facility, reversing a decision made earlier this month to halt operations. The company confirmed it will continue supplying slabs to Granite City, though no timeline was provided for the restart.

The plant’s two blast furnaces were previously idled, one in 2019 and the other in 2023. Since then, Granite City Works has relied on steel slabs shipped from other U.S. Steel facilities in Pennsylvania and Indiana.

Despite the recent production halt, U.S. Steel stated that no layoffs would occur. This aligns with a federal agreement connected to its $15 billion acquisition by Nippon Steel. Under the terms of that agreement, U.S. Steel cannot idle, sell, or close the Granite City facility until at least 2027.

Approximately 800 union members remain employed at the plant, primarily performing maintenance work to keep the facility operational. United Steelworkers Local 1899 President Craig McKey previously expressed concern about the plant’s future.

Local officials, including Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson and Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, have criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the company’s decisions. Budzinski called the earlier shutdown announcement a broken promise and urged federal leadership to protect American workers.

The union has not yet released a formal response to the restart announcement. U.S. Steel has not disclosed what operational or logistical changes led to the reversal.

The long-term future of Granite City Works remains uncertain.