June 2, 1999

Independent Steelworkers Union Joins Steel Industry Coalition In Filing Trade Cases Against 12 Countries

WEIRTON WV 26062 - Union President Mark Glyptis announced today that the Independent Steelworkers Union will join a domestic steel industry coalition which is taking legal action against 12 countries for violation of U.S. trade laws involving importation of cold-rolled steel products.

The Union will join Weirton Steel Corporation, Bethlehem Steel Corp, Gulf States Steel, Ispat Inland Inc., LTV Steel Company Inc., National Steel Corp., Steel Dynamics, Inc., U.S. Steel Group, and the United Steelworkers of America as a plaintiff in these cases. China, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, Thailand, Argentina, Russia, Venezuela, Japan, Indonesia, Slovakia and Taiwan have been named by the plaintiffs has having dumped cold rolled product into the United States market.

The coalition is seeking a ruling from the United States government that illegal activity occurred, and that substantial duties should be charged against future imports of cold rolled products shipped from these 12 countries. In 1998, cold rolled imports from these defendant countries totaled 2.3 million tons, which was an increase of 121 percent since 1996.

In announcing the Union's intention to join the coalition as a plaintiff, President Glyptis stated AThis is another step in our continuing fight to stop foreign steel makers from illegally destroying our steel industry. The Union intends to use every possible avenue to prevent violation of our laws from taking the jobs of American workers.

The Independent Steelworkers Union, which is located at 2971 West Street in Weirton, WV represents approximately 3,700 hourly employees and 450 salaried non-exempt and professional employees.