Georgetown steel mill to lay off 100 workers after Christmas in second round of cuts
The steel mill in Georgetown, one of the city’s most prominent industries, is set to permanently lay off more than 100 employees at the end of the year, according to state records.
Liberty Steel recently filed a WARN notice with the state of South Carolina for the impending layoffs. According to the filing, 104 employees are set to be laid off by Dec. 28.
The filing, done under the WARN Act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification), offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days prior to covered closings and mass layoffs.
The steel mill is located off South Fraser Street and employs up to 200 workers, according to the company’s LinkedIn page.
This will be the second round of layoffs for the Georgetown steel mill this year. The steel mill closed in April and laid off 130 workers. The April shutdown and layoffs came after a drop in demand for steel products due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the company. Unlike April’s layoffs, the layoffs set for December will be permanent, according to Liberty Steel’s letter to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
A statement released by GFG alliance, the company that owns Liberty Steel Group, implies that the impending layoffs are related to the April layoffs and a drop in manufacturing caused by the pandemic.
“Colleagues affected by the WARN notices are given the offer of an alternative employment contract within GFG Alliance,” the statement reads.
The steel mill’s future has looked uncertain for several years. It was closed and sat vacant from 2015 until June 2018, leaving 220 workers jobless. The steel mill reopened after it was purchased by London-based Liberty House Group in April 2017 from ArcelorMittal. The steel mill also had stints of weeks-long closures in 2003 and 2008.
The SC Department of Employment and Workforce has not responded to request for the WARN filings.
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 2:14 PM.
