East Bay lawmakers push to keep USS-Posco steel mill in Pittsburg open
PITTSBURG – Bay Area members of Congress on Thursday called on United States Steel (USS) to continue operating the USS-Posco Industries (UPI) steel mill in Pittsburg.
Mark Desaulnier (D-Walnut Creek), John Garamendi (D-Fairfield) and Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) are calling on USS to find a buyer that will keep the Pittsburg mill in operation and keep all workers on the job.
The UPI steel mill in Pittsburg has been in operation for over 100 years and is the city's third largest employer with nearly 700 skilled workers. Additionally, the Pittsburg mill makes steel for the U.S. market, including steel needed for publicly funded transportation improvements under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
Garamendi released a statement saying, "Since 1910, the UPI steel mill has produced high-quality steel products under the ownership and operation of the U.S. Steel Corporation."
According to Garamendi, In 1986, U.S. Steel entered into a 50/50 joint venture with Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO). In 2020, U.S. Steel acquired POSCO's shares of the UPI steel mill and regained sole ownership of the facility. In 2022, U.S. Steel informed employees at the Pittsburg facility that it would shut down in December 2023.
The members also called on U.S. Steel to keep two support facilities for the Pittsburg mill in operation and workers on the job: CEMCO, which produces steel framing, and Roll Technology West (RTW), which produces chrome plates for UPI products.
"The continued operation of UPI is essential in keeping hundreds of good-paying union jobs in Pittsburg and would ensure that we are meeting our Buy America goals," Garamendi said.