Gerdau Ameristeel to restart operations at Beaumont mill

Gerdau Ameristeel to restart operations at Beaumont mill

Gerdau Ameristeel announced yesterday (November 30) that its Beaumont, Texas wire rod mill will resume operations on December 12 after 11 months of negotiations and seven months of a forced worker lockout. The company will meet with union representatives early next week to determine an interim agreement outlining under which terms the 269 employees will return to work. "Essentially, we've been telling the company we should have done this back in May -- continue to work while negotiations are being worked out," USW spokesperson Gerald Dickey told SteelOrbis today. "At this point, we don't have a permanent agreement and the exact terms are yet to be determined." Tentative terms agreed to during the course of the negotiations, according to Gerdau Ameristeel, include changes in wage structures, protection from pay cuts, improved health care coverage, and a long-term contract of four years. Philip Bell, director of human resources for Gerdau Ameristeel, said of the situation, "The company has met in good faith with union representatives for more than 11 months. We met on more than 50 occasions but have not achieved an agreement to date. It's time now to get our employees back to work and normalize production."