Demand for iron ore among U.S. steel manufacturers failed to increase with the beginning of the 2002 shipping season, contributing to an overall drop of 35 percent in cargo movement on the Great Lakes in March, compared with the same period last year.
The following article was written by American Maritime Officers National Great Lakes Vice President Daniel L. Smith and International Longshoremen's Association Great Lakes District President John D. Baker for the January-March 2002 issue of Great Lakes/Seaway Review magazine.
Sen. John D. "Jay" Rockefeller in April introduced legislation to cover health care costs for retired steelworkers as U.S. steelmakers move into a phase of consolidation and capacity reduction under an umbrella of temporary relief provided by the administration's tariffs on some steel imports.
