More Than 30,000 Steelworkers Threatening To Strike Across The U.S.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Demand for domestic steel is on the rise thanks in part to the Trump administration's new tariffs on imported steel. But the good times could come to a screeching halt if 30,000 unionized steelworkers go on strike. From Gary, Ind., NPR's David Schaper reports. (CROSSTALK) DAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE: Nestled between the hulking steel mills along the southern lip of Lake Michigan is Gary, Ind.'s, Miller Beach neighborhood. With the exception of frequent freight trains... (SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN HORN SOUNDING) SCHAPER: ...It's pretty quiet in this working-class community that rides the ups and downs of the nearby mills. For 43 years, Larry Banks has been on that steel industry rollercoaster while working in the searing and grimy heat of ArcelorMittal's huge Burns Harbor steel mill. Sitting on a bar stool at the Thumbs Up Tavern, Banks says there's often decent pay, overtime and bonuses but also bankruptcies, benefits cuts and layoffs.