US Steel plans to idle East Chicago facility, lay off 150 workers

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (WLS) -- U.S. Steel is consolidating its tin production and it'll affect workers in East Chicago.

The steel company confirmed Friday that it plans to idle East Chicago Tin, where tin-plated metal for canned foods is made. The move may lead to layoffs for nearly 150 workers.

U.S. Steel plans to consolidate tin mill products production from three to two facilities by mid-November.

East Chicago Tin employs about 297 workers. U.S. Steel hopes to offer half of the laid-off workers positions at the company's other Northwest Indiana facilities, spokeswoman Meghan Cox said in a statement.

But Cox said the exact number of jobs hasn't been finalized and could change following discussions with trade union United Steelworkers.

U.S. Steel is moving to consolidate in part because of the high levels of low-priced imported tin mill products, Cox said.