ArcelorMittal to close Monessen coke plant
The ArcelorMittal coke production plant in Monessen will close – at least temporarily – in early July.
Company officials this week gave the approximately 180 members of United Steelworkers Local 3403 a 60-day notice that it plans to “hot idle” the plant, according to an email from a union member. July 3 is scheduled to be the last day of work.
The global steel manufacturer said in a statement that it will “hot idle our coke batteries” at the Monessen location. “At this time, we do not know the anticipated duration of the hot idle. We will maintain the plant during the hot idle period so that a restart is possible, but we do not have a target date.”
COVID-19 is having a major impact on the company. A spokesperson for ArcelorMittal said, in a statement, that “salaried and hourly layoffs are required” at the Monessen facility and “many” of its other operations. The statement went on to say the COVID-19 pandemic “has caused significant disruptions to business throughout the world and increasingly across the United States.
“. . . Therefore, we must adapt our production and cost structures to match our customers’ demand in these challenging market conditions.”
ArcelorMittal S.A. is based in Luxembourg City.