Roots of Steel: Boom and Bust in an American Steel Town (review)

Roots of Steel is science writer Deborah Rudacille's paean to "the virtues of hard work, community, and family" (p. 5) in the Baltimore suburb of Dundalk, the working-class company steel town in which she grew up. Drawing on oral interviews, she recounts the history of labor and community at Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point plant. Established in 1887 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company, the Sparrows Point plant and town of the same name were bought by Bethlehem Steel in 1916 as part of a rapid expansion during World War I. As the wartime workforce increased, Bethlehem Steel decided to build a new company town. In contrast to Sparrows Point, where workers could only rent, Dundalkers were encouraged to purchase the new brick-and-stucco homes. $4,135 bought a very nice three-bedroom house. Although Sparrows Point was one of the most integrated plants in the nation, Dundalk itself was limited to whites.

This pattern of segregation and discrimination in housing carried over into the mills themselves, with blacks generally holding the lowest-paid, dirtiest, and hardest entry-level jobs. White workers routinely resisted attempts by blacks to rise, perceiving such advance as a threat to job security. Even following the arrival of the union in 1941, in which blacks were active participants, they generally found the doors to advancement shut. The union protected "white" jobs by means of "unit seniority" rather than seniority in the plant as a whole. In place until 1974, this system meant that if a black worker sought advancement into a different unit, he would have less seniority in any determination for promotion and other benefits, so few established black workers were willing to risk moving into lower positions in "white" units, even if that was the only opportunity for subsequent skilled advancement.

Women also found themselves at a disadvantage, albeit for different reasons. Deemed incapable of handling certain jobs, women were often segregated into "female" work, such as tin mill "floppers," and restricted from jobs such as crane operators. If persistent, women could earn the respect of male coworkers, but at least until the mid-1970s, seeking equality was an uphill battle. Women supervisors had to be especially tough to earn and maintain the respect of male colleagues. Interestingly, women often found support among "black men [who] had the dirtiest, nastiest jobs in the place" but "because they knew what it was like," they were "the most gentlemanly" (p. 166).

Health and safety issues were of constant concern for workers exposed to excessive levels of dirt, heat, and toxic materials such as asbestos. Sparrows Point had long received "a pass on issues of safety and health" (p. 140) out of concern for the local economy. An inherent part of the problem was an aging plant that was both physically and environmentally unsafe, but beyond this, Rudacille believes "company management greatly resented having to deal with the environmental issue at all" (p. 143).

In the end, despite the hard work and the dangers, the corporate paternalism, and the discrimination, most employees liked working at Sparrows Point. It was generally well-paid and secure work with excellent retirement benefits. Thus, most workers were fiercely loyal to the company, the community, and the union. It was no surprise then that when Bethlehem Steel started widespread corporate layoffs and plant closings, finally declaring bankruptcy in 2001, many workers felt betrayed. This feeling was accentuated when the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation cut back on many pensioners' plans and when, as part of a buyout by International Steel Group, all retirees lost their company-subsidized health insurance. Today Sparrows Point is operated by the Russian steelmaking firm of OAO Severstal on a much-reduced scale, although it produces more steel per person than ever. Just outside the plant, the town of Dundalk is economically depressed, though it still reflects a certain pride of working-class place.

Ultimately, despite the racism and tensions between management and union, Rudacille...