I told my sister-in-law that the steel mills should have been employee run and owned. She asked how that would have helped since the industry was moving overseas. I said those workers would have given their all into finding a way to stay afloat. The corporate owners were sell outs.
Thanks - great memorial to a great company and a gray group of people who worked at BS - thanks to all who built America and made America great - thanks Bethlehem for keeping the stacks - I cry every time I walk the trestle
A side note. My father worked open hearth at Armco Middletown in the 1940s til his early death in 1955. All my uncles/grandfathers were there too. Living in Birmingham AL now US Steel Fairfield/ Ensley were powering the city at the same time. Hot/cold roll, plate mill, tin mill, sheet mill, rail mill, coke plant. 20,000+ workers. Pullman Standard Bessemer had 4,500 workers. Ensley has been razed, Pullman long since shuttered and Fairfield is a small mini mill now. Even the Walmart recently closed due to massive shoplifting. Sooooo sad 😥
I'm wearing 2 pins made by Bethlehem Steel put in my arm when I was injured with a fractured arm and a dislocated elbow when I had surgery. I knew someone who worked at Bethlehem Steel. Did you know a worker by the name of Henry Shankweiler?
Immigrants from all over the world found their vocation in these plants. In states where steel was made and entire regions families were grounded in steel. Today much of the world is automated few jobs will ever be as physically strenuous as working with steel. My uncle worked in the cold roll mill and had to wear wooden shoes so that the rubber on his work boots wouldn't burn. My father was a metallurgist at Beth Steel Sparrows point. It couldn't be made or won without steel mills.
@@abelflores1593 the 3 three power sources points were from the power grid via ppl at 69000volts. Bethlehem steel then had their own power system in the plant. From 69kv to 13800 v , 4160v ,480.about 100 substation s also had a 6900v 25 cycle system , consisting two 25 cycle freq converters each rated 20000 kw. 1 10 meg steam generator 1 15meg steam generator. I worked there from 1973 to closing in 1997 in the electrical power group.fyi.three operations were bought at the Bethlehem plant in 1997 and are still working to this day with mostly the same equipment that was owned by Bethlehem steel. I was hired by this company in 1998 and still working for them maintaining their electrical system
The generation of people who have come since the closing of Bethlehem, don't want to get their delicate fingers and hands dirty. They are known as the Snowflake generation. All the young people want to sit in front of a screen, make a million dollars an hour, and only "work" 40 minutes a day. If China. North Korea, Russia, or Japan were to aerial invade our country today, like what happened to Pearl Harbor - we would NEVER be in a position to save this country from enemy domination. The younger snowflake generation would just hide under their beds & mattresses, hugging their stuffed animals, crying and whimpering- calling out for mommy, daddy, or for meema & grampa.
John, please record your days on the PB&NE. We have very little from the push bump and ram here. Us railroaders are losing you guys to history too fast.
This doesn’t necessarily just make me sad, it also makes me resoundingly furious and full of contempt toward those my age who deride wonderful things like this, as well as toward the neoliberal and pro-globalization fucks who caused the downfall of this place. Fuck them, and I salute all of those who worked in the plant, in that they, their offspring, and their offspring’s offspring fare better in life than they had after the mill was shut down.
When People took pride in a Hard days work.This Plant is such a part of Americana. I use to Truck past it in the 90’s when it was still in operation. And sad to go past it after it shut down.
@@saydeecannon4083 The "Wall Streeters" decided to ship it all to China because it's so CHEAP. China has no labor unions, no safety laws, and no pollution laws. :(
We had U.S. Steel, Wisconsin Steel, Acme Steel, and Republic Steel in the South Chicago/Calumet Illinois area ("da region"). All the coke ovens, blast furnaces, steel making furnaces and rolling mills are long gone from these individual mills without much of a trace of their existence (well, at least the Acme Steel BOFs and rolling mills still exist in nearby Riverdale, IL fed by molten iron via rail from nearby Indiana blast furnaces).
Don't forget, a lot of domestic "mini-mills" with their electric arc furnaces did their part to eliminate the huge, integrated steel mills in this country.
@@WAL_DC-6B I thank God we have them. However; The mini mills greatly contribute to the demise of places like Bethlehem, mini mills made steel quickly by skipping a third but extremely critical steps used to purify the molten steel and remove all of the impurities to make the best product possible.. Mini mills made steel faster then the big mills. in order to make tonnage and cut cost (corporate greed strikes again) Bethlehem used a curing process that would keep the steel in its molten stages much longer, they then added a propitiatory blend of chemicals to bind to the impurities and be raked off the top of the blast furnaces, stuck to the slag. This removed far more impurities and make a Superior product. this is why a car from the 1950s has steel that will outlive any modern vehicles (toyota cars trucks and all other China made trash) the steel was made fast not right.
I told my sister-in-law that the steel mills should have been employee run and owned. She asked how that would have helped since the industry was moving overseas. I said those workers would have given their all into finding a way to stay afloat. The corporate owners were sell outs.
Will be remembered FOR-EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks - great memorial to a great company and a gray group of people who worked at BS - thanks to all who built America and made America great - thanks Bethlehem for keeping the stacks - I cry every time I walk the trestle
A side note. My father worked open hearth at Armco Middletown in the 1940s til his early death in 1955. All my uncles/grandfathers were there too. Living in Birmingham AL now US Steel Fairfield/ Ensley were powering the city at the same time. Hot/cold roll, plate mill, tin mill, sheet mill, rail mill, coke plant. 20,000+ workers. Pullman Standard Bessemer had 4,500 workers. Ensley has been razed, Pullman long since shuttered and Fairfield is a small mini mill now. Even the Walmart recently closed due to massive shoplifting. Sooooo sad 😥
I would die for a stable hard working blue collar job right now.
Thank you, a very important memorial to the thousands of men and women who worked at Bethlehem Steel for over 100 years
I'm wearing 2 pins made by Bethlehem Steel put in my arm when I was injured with a fractured arm and a dislocated elbow when I had surgery. I knew someone who worked at Bethlehem Steel. Did you know a worker by the name of Henry Shankweiler?
I think about The Deer Hunter, when I see a place like this...
Immigrants from all over the world found their vocation in these plants. In states where steel was made and entire regions families were grounded in steel. Today much of the world is automated few jobs will ever be as physically strenuous as working with steel. My uncle worked in the cold roll mill and had to wear wooden shoes so that the rubber on his work boots wouldn't burn. My father was a metallurgist at Beth Steel Sparrows point. It couldn't be made or won without steel mills.
Nice video, I have 40 years in trucking industry and its going to pot too.
They need to know the UNION bankrupted the industry.
Does anybody know what power plant power the plant Bethlehem Steel
Yes. 3 points of entry at 69000 volts from ppl, also generated their own power
@@peterthomas6433 wow three different power plants do you remember the name of the power plants
@@abelflores1593 the 3 three power sources points were from the power grid via ppl at 69000volts. Bethlehem steel then had their own power system in the plant. From 69kv to 13800 v , 4160v ,480.about 100 substation s also had a 6900v 25 cycle system , consisting two 25 cycle freq converters each rated 20000 kw. 1 10 meg steam generator 1 15meg steam generator. I worked there from 1973 to closing in 1997 in the electrical power group.fyi.three operations were bought at the Bethlehem plant in 1997 and are still working to this day with mostly the same equipment that was owned by Bethlehem steel. I was hired by this company in 1998 and still working for them maintaining their electrical system
@@peterthomas6433 wow that's very interesting! I'm glad you're still working in the industry. Thanks for powering America
The generation of people who have come since the closing of Bethlehem, don't want to get their delicate fingers and hands dirty. They are known as the Snowflake generation. All the young people want to sit in front of a screen, make a million dollars an hour, and only "work" 40 minutes a day. If China. North Korea, Russia, or Japan were to aerial invade our country today, like what happened to Pearl Harbor - we would NEVER be in a position to save this country from enemy domination. The younger snowflake generation would just hide under their beds & mattresses, hugging their stuffed animals, crying and whimpering- calling out for mommy, daddy, or for meema & grampa.
Nice video--thank you for sharing.
John, please record your days on the PB&NE. We have very little from the push bump and ram here. Us railroaders are losing you guys to history too fast.
They failed to mention Bethlehem in Lackawanna,NY and its impact on steel and iron in this country as well.
This doesn’t necessarily just make me sad, it also makes me resoundingly furious and full of contempt toward those my age who deride wonderful things like this, as well as toward the neoliberal and pro-globalization fucks who caused the downfall of this place. Fuck them, and I salute all of those who worked in the plant, in that they, their offspring, and their offspring’s offspring fare better in life than they had after the mill was shut down.
When People took pride in a Hard days work.This Plant is such a part of Americana. I use to Truck past it in the 90’s when it was still in operation. And sad to go past it after it shut down.
Back then a man supported his family, with pride, by the sweat of his brow, the strength in his arms and his skill, will this country ever recover??
I hope so.
Crazy how much more a person’s work was valued back then. Now it’s like a worker is a mass produced cog to be bought and replaced for pennies.
@@saydeecannon4083 The "Wall Streeters" decided to ship it all to China because it's so CHEAP. China has no labor unions, no safety laws, and no pollution laws. :(
Cleveland cliffs
We had U.S. Steel, Wisconsin Steel, Acme Steel, and Republic Steel in the South Chicago/Calumet Illinois area ("da region"). All the coke ovens, blast furnaces, steel making furnaces and rolling mills are long gone from these individual mills without much of a trace of their existence (well, at least the Acme Steel BOFs and rolling mills still exist in nearby Riverdale, IL fed by molten iron via rail from nearby Indiana blast furnaces).
now made in China
@@chadbailey189 "now made in China" often with used steel mill equipment from the U.S. and Europe.
Now days ACME & Inland steel own by Cliff - the iron ore supplier.
Bring steel back home where it belongs. we have iron ore here, we should make steel here. China steel is garbage
Too expensive to make steel in America because the corporations are way too greedy.
@@jimfberry it is disgusting to see how cooperate Americia is killing our country
Don't forget, a lot of domestic "mini-mills" with their electric arc furnaces did their part to eliminate the huge, integrated steel mills in this country.
@@WAL_DC-6B I thank God we have them. However; The mini mills greatly contribute to the demise of places like Bethlehem, mini mills made steel quickly by skipping a third but extremely critical steps used to purify the molten steel and remove all of the impurities to make the best product possible.. Mini mills made steel faster then the big mills. in order to make tonnage and cut cost (corporate greed strikes again) Bethlehem used a curing process that would keep the steel in its molten stages much longer, they then added a propitiatory blend of chemicals to bind to the impurities and be raked off the top of the blast furnaces, stuck to the slag. This removed far more impurities and make a Superior product. this is why a car from the 1950s has steel that will outlive any modern vehicles (toyota cars trucks and all other China made trash) the steel was made fast not right.
@@jimfberry Corporate and Unions are both to blame for the demise of Bethlehem Steel.
We had Kaiser steel in California.