Getting Back On Their Feet:

Retraining LTV Employees for the Future

Aired January 16, 2002

The idling of LTV Steel in December put more than 3,000 people in the Cleveland area out of work. That's a major blow to a city like Cleveland, which was already trying to cope with a regional manufacturing recession even before the national economic downturn became official. Today, the reality of the LTV situation has sunken in for many former employees, and they're beginning to look toward the future. Some local educational institutions have resolved to help. 90.3 WCPN®'s Bill Rice reports.

Bill Rice–Dennis Herttua welcomes about a dozen men to the Career Place at Cuyahoga Community College. The library-like facility normally provides job search assistance and resources to Tri-C students. But today - and for the next several months - it's doors are open to former steel workers to help them determine what their next move should be. This small and informal workshop on where and how to look for jobs, is part of Tri-C's larger initiative to help former LTV workers get back on their feet. Participants are gathered around two round tables as Herrtua, who serves as the college's liaison to the LTV workforce, talks up the services offered through Career Place.

Dennis Herttua–We hope to set up a streamlined process to get you into eligibility with TAA or TRA or other benefits programs that help dislocated workers find viable, gainful, competitive employment.

BR–One of those dislocated workers is Charles Hempstead, a former LTV Chem Lab Technician. Unemployment is not new to Hempstead, who is in his 40s. In fact, he considers himself a veteran of employment crises.

Charles Hempstead–I've been laid off for two years in the street, lost my unemployment, had a family, lost my family, got hired back, went back, went through another bankruptcy period with LTV Steel, which demoted my job down again, lost pay, and now came up with this.

BR–Right now Hempstead has no idea what he's going to do. Losing a job, he says, is tough. There's lots of idle time, and he has bouts of depression. But he says he's learned a lot at LTV, and believes he has skills that will make him employable. For now, he's optimistic.

CH–I'm not that much of a person that's kind of like upset at mostly everything, so I've learned how to be patient. So I'll try to motivate those skills and put them all into one and possibly find out something, see if I can find something.

BR–There's more than just resume help for people like Hempstead and other LTV workers. The federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program provides money to help those affected by changes in foreign trade policies - as much as 16,000 dollars per worker. Employees of LTV are a classic case, says Tri-C Vice President Terry Butler. He cites competition from foreign steel makers - some say illegal competition - as a primary culprit behind LTV's failure.

Terry Butler–This is an ideal situation with LTV Steel because we're talking about the impact of foreign steel products on our American markets. That is essentially what makes these workers eligible for trade adjustment assistance.

BR–One man who plans on taking advantage of that is Joe Izso, a former supervisor who oversaw one of LTV's giant blast furnaces.

Joe Izso–I just turned sixty, and life goes on after LTV.

BR–A 22 year-LTV veteran, Izso is doing OK despite the fact that he's out of work. He says he's keeping a positive attitude, and is looking to Tri-C for certification in electronic maintenance. He's ready to head back into the classroom for what, for him, will be a five month program.

JI–I decided that I'm going to pick something that I like to do this time. I look on this as a positive change.

BR–Joe Izso and Charles Hempstead are both optimistic about their futures, but admit it's an uphill climb. For one thing, replacing those high LTV wages will be difficult. Overtime and bonus incentives often drove annual pay into the 60 to 65 thousand dollars a year range. Such blue-collar compensation is increasingly rare, says Tri-C's Terry Butler, and manufacturing jobs themselves have become more scarce. He suggests careers in other fields might be a more viable option for some.

TB–Areas of employment where they will not have to go through a dislocation again, particularly in areas like health care training or law enforcement. Initially some of these workers may have to take a step back ito pay.

BR–Such courses of study are standard fare at community colleges, along with, of course, many trade and technical fields. And so, ironically, the loss of LTV can be seen as a boon to Tri-C and other institutions - as many as 3,000 people, all potential students with lots of federal dollars at their disposal - that's money that can be spent on college courses. But Tri-C official reject the notion that schools are simply capitalizing on the misfortune of others. Butler says they're simply stepping up to the plate and fulfilling their mission.

TB–It's important not just for Tri-C but for the stability of our community. I have referred to it as a crisis, and it's a crisis where we can be helpful.

BR–But In fact, Tri-C's recruiting efforts have not been sanctioned by the United Steelworkers of America. The union says they're working up an assistance program of their own, claiming that their approach will be more attuned to the specific needs and skills of steelworkers. In Cleveland, Bill Rice, 90.3 WCPN® News.