OHIO STEEL COUNCIL SUPPORTS STATE LEGISLATION ON IMPORTS

COLUMBUS, Ohio (October 22, 1998) –  The Ohio Steel Council is urging state officials to support two state legislators in their effort to pass a resolution demanding federal action on unfairly traded steel imports.

The resolution was announced Wednesday at the "Stand Up for Steel" rally in Cleveland. It is sponsored by Ohio Representative Gary Cates, R-West Chester, and Ohio Senetor Gary Suhadolnik, R-Strongsville, who will be introducing it jointly in the Ohio House and Senate after the November 3 election.

The Ohio Steel Council, a group of steel industry, state government, education and labor leaders, believes that the resolution is an important step in bringing pressure to bear on Washington D.C.

"As the second-leading steel producing state, Ohio has a responsibility to exert all pressure possible on the Clinton Administration to take prompt action to control the dumping of unfairly traded steel imports," said George Manos, vice president-business processes at USS/KOBE Steel Co. in Lorain and co-chair of the Ohio Steel Council.

"We have to stand our ground for the sake of the more than 30,000 people employed in Ohio's steel industry, not to mention the thousands of others working in related industries. These jobs are in jeopardy," he said.

In September, the Ohio Steel Council passed its own resolution calling for federal action against unfairly traded steel imports. The resolution notes that the unfairly traded steel imports are a threat to Ohio's economy and could cause a recession in the steel industry.

Cates and Suhadolnik are the legislative representatives on the Ohio Steel Council.

The Ohio Steel Council, appointed in 1991 by Gov. George V. Voinovich, is a public-private partnership designed to strengthen ties among the steel industry, the state of Ohio and its citizens. The Council's member organizations are AK Steel Corp., Armco Inc., CSC Ltd., LTV Steel Co., Washington Steel, North Star Steel Ohio, Republic Engineered Steels, Inc., The Timken Company, USS/KOBE Steel Co., WCI Steel, Inc., Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., the United Steelworkers of America, the Ohio Legislature, Ohio Department of Development, The Ohio State University and Youngstown State University.