I hired in at Homestead in May 1978. Got on the Instrument Repairman apprenticeship in September 1978. Got laid off 3 years later. I made a great career from that apprenticeship. Retired 2 years ago.
My Father worked at Bethlehem in Buffalo for 50 years. Just did not want to retire until they told him in 1985 that he was to be retired that week. They already had started closing an demolishing parts of the Mill. He lived for another 25 years, always wanting to go back to "The Steel". I did work there my self for 3 years in the 70 to 73 but my life and education took me else were . Fond memories. I wish that this film had titles for the location of these mills an the names but it was a good film.
I remember the Bethlehem Steelworks in Lackawanna NY, beginning around 1974-75 were the first large batch of permanent layoffs and parts of that steel mill were closed. Later on in 1977 there were more layoffs and another large portion of the steelworks was closed and mothballed followed by more cutbacks in 78 and 79. By the summer of 82, it was common fear throughout the Buffalo Metro Area that Bethlehem Steel would completely shut down soon. That fear became true in late December 82 when Bethlehem announced the end of all steel making operations in Lackawanna. After that it was just the filthy stinking coke ovens and the finishing mills that remained. However the coke ovens were shuttered at the end of 2001 and the last of the finishing mills was closed in 2007. Lackawanna today is an impoverished struggling blue collar city with little tax base that is now dependent on state and federal funds to help pay for basic city services.
those steel buildings will crumble one day, just like the rest of these cities, and we'll have to construct new blast furnaces and mills again. Our infrastructure in America has been steadily crumbling for decades due to the parasite socialist welfare entitlement class. The working man was always taught to vote"democrat" without ever questioning the platform or their Godless morals of abortion and celebration of sodomy. Don't get me wrong republicans have crooks in their ranks as well. When America can put God first , then he will bless us with wondrous steel mills again.
@@torquetrain8963 one could argue that policies/laws put into place that have destroyed the working class and unions by republicans are to blame. Yes Democrats have gone along with this for votes. We still have a law that allows companies to use our tax dollars to offshore jobs. Rarely to hear anyone complain about corporate welfare? You always here the right demonizing the poor. Then they will say the wealthy are job creators. In reality they are wealth creators who hide that wealth in tax havens around the world! Meanwhile our cities are crumbling and the country is failing. The right wing media have brainwashed the public into believing the workers and the poor are to blame! Please use your brain people!!
@@plasma3211 The wealthy are wealthy because they created something that filled a need. It's governmental policies and regulations that created the global economy by making it less expensive to make products, and provide services in countries with less regulation and cheaper labor.
Allan weaverling Worked at Bethlehem steel in Johnstown Pa. still miss it I worked for Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel and miss is as well. I'd give anything to be working there again.
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works is the only steel mill in the Pittsburgh area .Located in Braddock and North Braddock, Pennsylvania. It has been active since 1875. It is currently owned by U.S. Steel and is known as Mon Valley Works - Edgar Thomson Plant. 2024
That is an outmoded technology today unfortunately. Plus the costs to update and retrofit those huge old furnaces would be in the hundreds of millions.
