maintenance mechanic

electrical technician

shift manager

utility worker

industrial mechanic

United States Steel

PROS:
 - Good benefits and salary. Non-union employees receive an annual bonus based largely on the company’s financial performance and safety record for the year, but is also based on individual and team performance. This bonus wasn't much in past years due to company’s financial performance. It was better than nothing though.

-Some good and hardworking people

- Work-life balance/flexible scheduling is available at Headquarters but mainly depends on what area/department you are in and your manager. If you work for a good manager, you should be ok. But beware the opposite.

- Historic and iconic American company

- Large corporation so there are lots of different areas to work.

-New executive management from outside the company has some promise. Perhaps the last hope for this company to turn things around. It will not be easy.

CONS

-  A lot of miserable, bitter, and low-morale co-workers. These were mainly employees who had been with the company  a long time. A few confessed they were only staying with the company because of the “good pension plan”(newer hires are on a different plan). Mix that with near constant job and pension uncertainty and you get this problem.

- They have trouble retaining employees younger than age 30. Most of the people I knew who left the company before and after me were in this range.

- Outdated company culture and management style. They are behind the times in most things. Times have changed and people aren’t looking to stay at one company and a pension for their entire working lives.

-Incompetent middle managers that seem to follow their superiors around from job to job within the company.

-Little to no change management. Entire company is resistant to change, from  most of the executives all the way down. That is a recipe for disaster. Because of the lack of change management and company culture, their ERP software transition and deployment has been very poor. Very bad project management.

- Employees feel disengaged and disheartened. Negative atmosphere. Also a common “poor us” mindset based largely on the company’s recent struggles and uncertainty.

- Little to no appreciation for employees. My new employer recognizes “National Employee Appreciation Day’ but I never heard of such a thing while working at US Steel.

- Poor physical working environment at their Business Service Center due to cramped, windowless rooms, outdated furnishings, narrow hallways, and peeling paint.

- Very political and bureaucratic. Lots of red tape.

- Safety stance and message  is overdone within Headquarters. The company takes safety seriously and is obviously needed due to their plant locations, but it is too much at the Headquarters locations. I get they need a single corporate stance on safety, but to hold department/team monthly hour long safety meetings and go over things like stapler safety, door safety, and Halloween safety is just a waste of time and bewildering. The same safety information is pretty much repeated annually.  I felt I was being talked down to by needing to go over a three page document on how to properly use a stapler.  Also, they pretty much ingrain safety into your minds at other meetings and even leaving your worksite. Too much focus than what is needed there and it makes people tune out the message. Safety is important, but that was too much.

There are few places left like US Steel that provide their own in-house emergency services, however I feel those days are numbered. When I started, and for about the first year it was one of the best jobs I ever had, and by this year (2020) it turned into an absolute miserable grind of a job. Our department was more or less downsized with complete and utter disregard of our stated mission and organizational needs. I was "laid off" and reassigned from my job at the 2nd highest labor grade, to the bottom entry level labor grade through no fault of my own, at a loss of roughly $800/mo. In the span of 6 months I received two WARN notices; during the first notice I was in company sponsored training to advance myself, at quite a cost to the company.  A manager that did know what they were doing and provided a wealth of knowledge and experience to the dept, was unceremoniously let go and replaced with an outsider. Other managers were reassigned to roles outside of their primary areas of expertise. I felt a sense that we were constantly being scrutinized to the fullest extent by corporate level management and bean counters, who didnt necessarily know or understand our roles. You are highly expendable, and plan on being treated as such.

When I was happier there, it was a good paying job with benefits that are hard to come by these days. I felt mostly fulfilled and satisfied, and most of the time could take some pride in my job. I more or less worked as hard or as little as I wanted to, as long as tasks assigned to me were completed. I had a relatively huge degree of freedom, and was able to see just about every part of the plant. There were definitely unsafe areas, but in a business like this your personal safety isnt always guaranteed, and you cant and shouldnt trust anyone else but yourself to have your own interests at heart. As a represented employee there was little room for advancement outside of the negotiated labor grades; seeing how this company treats low level management I would not recommend that route to anyone other than those looking to build experience. Despite leaving completely bitter, I can't deny the fact that it provided me with tons of experience that I was able to take elsewhere. To anyone looking to hire in for "Security I", I seriously do not recommend coming here for a career, but it does look good on a resume.

I work in the mining sector. Back in the day, you would work your way from the production floor to management, so the average manager was familiar with the equipment and the process. Now because of the hostility of management, no one will accept a manager position because you lose union protection. So instead, they hire young engineers right out of college, and tell them they can't manage projects until they manage people. Most engineers I've been acquainted with are not great with interpersonal skills. Imagine having decades of experience with the equipment and production process of a facility, only to be dismissed by a kid with a sheepskin and zero relevant experience. Most times it doesn't end well. Long story short, we were right, they were wrong, they end up burning out from the long hours and unattainable raises, they leave after 5 years, and the next kid comes in, rinse and repeat. You start to feel like a punching bag. Why did this company hire you if they think you're too dumb to do your job? We basically have to run the plant behind management's back. We plan, order parts and do upgrades through back channels to improve productivity and cut down time. We are forced to do duties that are not our responsibility in order to keep our facility viable. All while upper management treats us like lepers. Every time contract negotiations come around, they are completely unreasonable, regardless of market conditions, and our competitors always settle first. Thank God for the union keeping our wages and benefits competitive. We still need to attract top quality workers to our sector. That's not going so well lately, either. Bottom line, good pay and benefits, as long as we can keep it, but you'll feel unfulfilled. Your ideas and opinions will be dismissed and you'll have to sneak behind management's back to get anything accomplished. Most guys I work with showed up ready to take on the world and were utterly defeated in the first few years. They plod on to better their family's financial future, but most get bitter at the prospect of 30 years of being treated like dirt. If you're looking for a career where you'll have a sense of accomplishment, well, this probably is not for you. 

When I got my job with USS, I though my prayers had been answered. I thought that I had landed a "Career" at long last. Good money, good benefits, good pension, etc.  Let me tell you, I wish I had a dollar for every co-worker who has uttered that exact phrase to me...

And we all have said it because of the tremendous disappointment we experienced once we were inside, and we're all looking to get out. Some have managed to do so, that's why this job is posted. 

They will lie to you in the interview. Once you get in, you will learn that the McKeesport location is THE lowest paid USS plant, nationwide. The pension is new and so little that it is actually insulting. There is no matching at all for a 401(K). They used to give us $50 per pay toward the 401(k), but the union successfully negotiated that away last June. The health care coverage is good, in tems of coverage, though your "contribution" toward it, and your deductible is more than any other USS plant that I am aware of.

Guys right across the Mon river get HUGE jump in pay and benefits for what is essentially the same, or very similar,  job. 

Safety is non existent, and/or at managements discression.. They pressure you into driving a forklift, but won't train you on it. Give you a harness, but don't train you on it and have no recovery plan in place if you happen to end up dangling from something. The environment is extremely dirty, dangerous and noisy. Really not worth it for a $40 - $45K job before over time. And overtime there is... I routinely work 70+ hours, rotating shifts. That's 12+ hours, six days per week. Then, out of the blue, they drop you to 32 hours for a few weeks... Build that into your budget.

In a nutshell:
- The management bad beyond my ability to articulate such matters
- The pay and overtime are fair, but not worth the danger and mistreatment.
- The union is useless the extent that it is a sad dishonor to those forefathers who fought so hard, even died, to give us what we should have today. But, at least I only pay about $1,000 per year to not be represented. 
- There's more, but...

Enough. If you don't get it by now, you'll fit right in at that McKeesport he## hole.

The job I currently hold is the most time consuming, challenging, and demanding job I have ever had the oppotunity to endure.  It has opened more doors for me in terms of access to the company, understanding the business and operations, and also expanded my network within the company and with vendors.  In addition to career benefits, this job has also proven to me what I am able to endure in a job and has taught me life lessons.  I have learned to be more patient, realize how to embrace my strengths and recognize my weaknesses.  

The hardest part of the job is that I do not control anything that I do.  I manage several projects that I have inherited which require my management and input however I do not control the time frame or scope of the project.  In addition to managing multiple active projects, my daily tasks are declared by the problems that erupt at that time.  The job is very reactive and due to the large volume of responsibilities in this position, it is difficult to work on improvements to become more proactive.

Management at this company varies however the management style for this position is extremely close from several management levels.  It has helped me learn to become more vocal with upper management to ensure that my time is spent on the highest priority project or task at hand.  Also, I have realized that while upper management has the final say, there are times when my opinion and experience is valuable to the management team(s).  

The co-workers are the source of happiness at this company.  They work together to ensure that solutions are found within the speediest time frame possible.  Without the good people that work here, the work day would be more difficult to experience and higher stress.

I have learned that there is absolutely no work/life balance at USS because you live to work instead of work to live.  I work three out of every four weekends, and have sacrificed so many things in my personal life.  I work virtually every holiday, and rarely see my family or friends.  I am well educated with an associates and bachelors, and I know that many of skills are under utilized because USS is a mind-numbing place to work.  If you're very limited on education (e.g. only high school), then USS may be the place for you, but if you have a higher level of education, skill, and talent then please steer clear.  

Management is disconnected from the workforce - at least in my department because the bosses do not work the difficult schedules/hours that we do.  The administrative bosses that control the manpower levels and hiring for our department keep staffing level at a bare minimum, thus, we are forced to work hundreds of hours of overtime department-wide, and even more when someone retires, quits, gets fired, or goes out on medical (often occurrence).  Co-workers are miserable because despite a decent paycheck, they hate their work and regret staying at USS so long that they have no choice but to stay because no other employer would hire them.  The misery of work follows them home which encapsulates their life with the overbearing world of USS.  Most people in my department leave within their first year or two on the job, therefore, the only people that stay are jaded and cynical beyond repair.  Morale is very low among members of my department, but that also seems to be true throughout most, if not all, departments in the plant.

The most difficult parts of my job are the impossible schedule and sustained "misery loves company" mentality of so many of my co-workers.  These two factors make the idea of making a career at USS the furthest thing from my mind.

They purposefully keep the departments understaffed to save money on not paying pension and health benefits to employees - this means A LOT of forced overtime. 
Your input falls on deaf ears. You could have a great idea about saving time and making something more safe but what youll hear back is "Well, thats the way weve always done it." The ONLY time something is fixed or upgraded is if someone is injured. Dont let that injured person be you, because their first reaction is to blame you for it to cover themselves - they WILL send someone to the hospital to try and get you to sign a waiver....BELIEVE IT. 
I had 10+ years and I had 15 paid days off. Period. No sick days, personal days, floating holidays...nothing. And when you must call off youre punished for it, regardless of the reason. Essentially youre forced to abused and corrupt the FMLA rights that you have. 
You will have little to know home life. They expect you to dedicate all of your energy to them, as they give back very little to you. 
If you do decide to interview and these topics come up, you will be fed lines about "looking into it" or that they have discussions....they don't. Trust me, they dont care. You are just a number to them. 
Finally, the schedule is horrible. They work a reverse Timkin, quite possibly the worst schedule. We tried for years to change that, which was our right in the contract, but the union AND company both fought us on that - so be ready for your health to slump, because youll be living on naps. Oh, and youll see many people sleep at work...DO NOT get caught doing that. 
Watch out most for the managers whos "took a white hat" from the union pool of workers. Those people are the worst in the mill. 
I hope this helps...good luck. 

I am a trained plant operation technician committed to company core values, driving results, and exceeding expectations. Safety-conscious and skilled in the operation of all plant duties, machinery, and equipment. I have 5 years working in the water treatment plant, 1.5 years in gas handling, and 6 years in operations and half year in heating/patching. Monitored flows, pressures, feed levels & indicators. I recorded inside & outside process readings on a daily log sheets. Performed minor mechanical work & routine equipment maintenance. I operated a dump truck, fork lifts, and scissor lifts. Loaded and unloaded byproducts daily. Conducted safety inspections and followed safety rules and procedures. Executed field service work with minimal to no supervision. Retrieved and performed water samples and implement process changes. Recorded gas volumes and process analyzer reading. Adjusted pumping systems, chemical feeders, auxiliary equipment, and pump station indicators. Operated plate and belt presses. Tranferred lime to the soaker machines. Operated and switched pumps weekly in the Water Treatment Plant at US STEEL. I also ran a heavy machinery like a pusher machine, door machine, and Larry car in the operation department. Now I fix battery walls and fill cracks with a slurry mixture. I also keep the battery temperatures around 2200-2400 degree temperatures. I add gas when needed to keep these temperatures. I wear metatarsal boots, gloves, safety hat, face mask, and safety pants and coat.

Most days you put out fires from problems arising within the facility.  When you'd get time to work on a project, time was very limited.  I produced and maintained the PA DEP accreditation for 5 years.  Most of the other managers were communicative with my position because the lab manager job had you facilitate amongst all the other managers in the plant and with company managers at the other plants and headquarters.  The job was 50+ hours per week with weekend duty and necessity of returning to work at times.  The hardest part of the job was dealing with people backstabbing you.  This would be revealed later by my manager but, at times, not straightforwardly.  The most enjoyable part of the job was traveling to all the parts of the plant and meeting employees.  The hardest part was dealing with all the administrative duties and paperwork.  History revealed most of the previous lab managers/supervisors spent less than a year in the position, moving on to elsewhere, as it had originally been a 4 person job combined into 1.  I had found myself remodeling an unused building to establish a second office to complete work.

Basically when you get hired you stay in a classroom for a week for 8 hours a day looking at slideshows of information. After that you start hands on training and are on probation. And you are on probation until you hit 1,040 hours. Until you hit those hours if you are late even one minute or call in even with an excuse you’re fired. Maybe not that day but sure enough you’ll have the talk with HR and be walked out by security. Management is horrible there is a lack of communication and if you aren’t Mexican they don’t care about you. The hours are so dumb you usually work 10 hours M-Saturday and if production is behind you’ll work 12 hours with NO days off for MONTHS. Yeah it’s entry level and pays well but trust me this job should only be for those who have no other option. The people who work here are either really old like retirement old or they are felons so that should tell you something. There’s job out there that treat you like decent humans or you could go to school get a degree and make more without overworking yourself. Btw 15/hr sounds good but you have to work at least 70hours a week just to break in the 1,000. The pay is sketchy and confusing and a lot of people actually reported missing money on there checks. Do what you want with this information but I wish I would’ve known this before going through the drug test (Hair and urine) physical and all the other bs test.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Maintenance mechanic 14 salaries reported	$32.37 per hour
Electrical technician 27 salaries reported	$32.83 per hour
Shift manager 29 salaries reported	$90,864 per year
Utility worker 16 salaries reported	$25.35 per hour
Industrial mechanic 24 salaries reported	$41.97 per hour

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