Friday, February 04, 2011

U.S. Steel

In the long history of U.S. Steel related evil, I'm not sure this compares with the Homestead Strike of 1892 or the Donora Fog of 1948, but this is pretty heartless for a Pittsburgh icon:


But a U.S. Steel memo says workers in the Clairton, Irvin and Edgar Thomson mills who miss work Sunday or Monday "without just cause" will face "severe disciplinary action."

The United Steelworkers union has criticized the memo. A U.S. Steel spokeswoman tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the company doesn't comment on employee relations.

The newspaper says USW International vice president Tom Conway responded to the memo with an e-mail -- in black-and-gold type, the Steelers' colors -- that suggested adjusting schedules so volunteers who don't want to watch the game can work during it. Conway suggested lost production during Sunday's 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift could be made up later.

I mean, they aren't the Pittsburgh Steelers for nothing!  I guess once U.S. Steel moves its last token plants out of the U.S., they can change their name to the Pittsburgh Nostalgic Steelers and replace their logo with a picture of the old Homestead smokestacks that were integrated into a mall parking lot on the old site.