The layoffs at US Steel's Alabama operations announced last week could affect more workers than originally announced.
U.S. Steel warned 1,840 workers at the company's Fairfield factory they could lose their jobs.
Last week, US Steel announced it would lay off up to 386 employees at Fairfield Tubular Operations, and up to 1,218 could be affected at Fairfield Works, the primary flat-roll supplier of rounds to Fairfield Tubular Operations.
But an additional 236 employees in Alabama could be affected, according to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
US Steel employs 2,170 people in Alabama, so if all warned employees are affected, it would mean eliminating nearly 85 percent of its employees.
Several US Steel operations work out of the Fairfield plant, and some of those 236 work for companies besides Fairfield Works and Fairfield Tubular Operations. US Steel sells steel pipes and tubes to oil and gas drillers.
US Steel's CEO said in an earnings call last week that production at the Fairfield facility would idle until the flat-rolled and tubular markets improve. The company attributed the layoffs to changing market conditions and a drop in oil prices.
US Steel spokeswoman Courtney Boone said announcement of 1,604 affected workers was what the company had figured out at that time, but the additional warnings are a result of the adjustment in operations.
US Steel also warned 314 employees in Texas that they could be laid off.
Employees will learn the status of their jobs on or after March 29.
Boone said US Steel won't really have a final number of affected employees because it will be affected by operations.
A union representative told AL.com last week that leaders were in talks with the company to see how many jobs could be saved. Union representatives have not return several phone calls requesting follow up.
Source: al.com