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Stronger than... In the early part of this century, U.S. Steel produced more than half the nation's steel. Today it is still the largest integrated steel producer in the country, and one of two publicly traded units under the umbrella of the USX Corporation. The other unit is the USX-Marathon Group, (formerly Marathon Oil), a Houston, Texas-based oil company. USX-U.S. Steel Group produces domestic coal and iron ore and provides engineering, consulting, mineral resource, and real estate management. Since the mid-1990s, competition from foreign steelmakers has forced the company to streamline costs, which has led to decreased production and job cuts. U.S. Steel has managed to hold its own by diversifying, launching joint ventures with other steelmakers, and increasing its exports. The company currently ships 1.5 million tons of steel products to forty countries, and has created a partnership with Weirton Steel to establish a training center that will serve the fast-growing residential construction market. Fruits of a massive merger The company was born through a massive merger in 1901, engineered largely by Elbert Gary (who would become U.S. Steel's first chairman), Andrew Carnegie, Charles Schwab, and J.P. Morgan. In 1900, Gary and Morgan (who founded The Federal Steel Company in 1898), purchased Carnegie's steel mills for half a billion dollars. The resulting billion-dollar company (the first in history) was the nucleus of U.S. Steel, which would subsequently acquire several companies, including American Steel & Wire Co., American Tin Plate Company, and National Tube Company. In its first full year, U.S. Steel produced 67% of all the steel produced in the country. (Interesting fact: The Indiana town that housed the company's steel complex was eventually named after CEO Elbert Gary.) Striking oil Business boomed for U.S. Steel during both World Wars, but its market share fell off in the 1950s. By the 1970s, prospects looked dim, as the industry faced rising costs, price wars, and competition from foreign competitors. The corporation implemented several reorganizations over the years, resulting in the consolidation of its steelmaking and raw material divisions. To steel itself, so to speak, against the losses, U.S. Steel entered into a number of joint ventures with American and foreign partners, and also began to diversify. In 1982, the company doubled its size with the purchase of Marathon Oil. While the oil business thrived, the corporation cut its raw steel production capability by close to two-thirds. Four years after purchasing Marathon, U.S. Steel expanded its energy business with the purchase of Texas Oil and Gas, and changed its name to USX Corporation - to acknowledge the diversity of its business units. Also that year, financier Carl Icahn tried and failed to buy the company's steel operations. Trouble in Gary, Indiana In 1991, Marathon and U.S. Steel were split into two separately traded businesses under the USX umbrella. In 1992, shareholders approved the creation of a third class of stock, USX-Delhi Group, which would track the performance of the USX's Delhi Gas Pipeline Corporation and several related companies. That business unit was later sold to Koch Industries. In 1994, through a joint effort with rival Nucor, U.S. Steel began to look for ways to reduce the cost and pollution involved in the steel making process. The corporation agreed to pay $106 million in fines and improvement costs to compensate for air pollution violations at its Gary, Indiana plant. Global focus - sometimes Since 1997, the company has been upgrading its facilities and launching joint ventures in Central Europe and Mexico. Seemingly contrary to its new global focus, company joined forces with other American steel companies in 1999 to sue competitors in Brazil, Japan, and Russia for selling low-priced steel in the U.S. USX-U.S. Steel agreed to purchase Slovakian steel maker VSZ AZ and is pouring more money into its facilities in Mexico. On the home front, USX has agreed to seel steel on the Internet through E-Steel, an internet venture it partly owns. The company has also created a new unit called USS Coal Sales LLC, a new company devoted entirely to U.S. Steel's coal products.
USX-U.S. Steel obtains many entry-level hires through campus recruitment and its student internship programs. College students can find info in the "Student Employment" section of the company Web site. Experienced workers should apply to the specific unit they would like to work for. For positions at Gary Works, contact the Management Services department at (219)888 - 4492, or e-mail HResources-GaryWorks@USS.COM. For other divisions, contact Training and Recruiting at the Pittsburgh HQ. Sources say interviews are "fairly relaxed" and "not too technical." An initial campus interview is "more like a screening interview" claims one USX contact. After meeting with HR, candidates meet with members of the hiring group. One insider explains the typical scenario: "they describe what they do, what the job entails, and inquire about previous work experience and what you plan to do with your career." Pretty straightforward. One insider does warn, however, that "not all managers have good interviewing skills" and the company has had to "train certain individuals within departments to handle interviews." Our contacts do note that "whenever a job becomes available, it is first offered internally. If no one accepts the job, it is then offered to the general public." Another source adds that "there are some occasions when a position is offered within the corporation and to the public right from the start." That insider also notes that "referrals from employees definitely help."
Feeling sick? Forget it! Working for the country's biggest steel manufacturer "has its perks," say employees. The company has "an unbeatable bonus system," and the benefits at USX are "superb." Furthermore, the company pays full medical and dental insurance, and offers "a 401k plan with matching everything." USX also has its own credit union, which offers "competitive rates on loans and mortgages," and a tuition reimbursement program. If the company pays for you to go back to school, however, "you are required to work with the company for at least one year after completing your degree - or you'll have to pay the money back." Employees get "one week of vacation time after six months of employment, and three weeks after one year." Unfortunately, "there are no sick days. If you're sick, you're sick." Relatively pleasant "A good work ethic seems to go a long way in this corporation," says a source, adding "so does loyalty." "I and my fellow coworkers watch out for each other both at work and outside of it." Insiders describe the work environment as "relatively pleasant," adding that "everyone gets along well enough to ensure that the work gets done on time." Management in the real world Hours and dress code vary depending on the office you work in. Most work from 7-4 or 8-5. Says one source, "managers are fairly understanding that we're living in the real world." "If you are late for work one day, or have to take a long lunch to handle a personal matter, that's fine. As long as you make up any lost time and put in your forty hours a week, people are pretty lenient." As for dress code, most U.S. Steel employees wear "suit and tie from Monday to Thursday, with casual Fridays." Overall, "it really depends on how much you deal with executives and the public." Looking out for number #1 Insiders say "salaries are comparable to those at other companies" in the industry, and are "fair - based on your skills." One source disagrees, however, noting that "job security is often in question, and management and union employees are always at odds." Either way, employees "are entitled to performance reviews at least once a year." "Depending on your performance, you can get an annual, merit-based raise of up to 10% of your salary." That source warns that "you need to look our for yourself, though." While "some managers look out for their employees and push to get them the raises they deserve," you may find yourself having to "ask for a pay increase or change of position if you feel you're not getting what you should." Other insiders of the Gary Works field environments say the positions "pay well" although the environment is described as "hot, greasy, dirty, oily, and filled with union workers who only want to collect paychecks." Where are the women? Though there are "very few women at U.S. Steel in high-ranking positions" and the ethnic mix is "not terribly varied," sources affirm that "race or gender would never affect your potential at USX." Asserts one informant, "it has little to do with hiring policies and more to do with location."
Training & Recruiting
Steel & tin mill products;Plate, tubular products;Taconite pellets & coke;Coal More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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