Its just to scare the union so the people get what they on the contract.
I don't really think so. Globally, steel consumption is down.
Better materials than steel are now being used to manufacture more and more goods, and steel, much as I love it, is becoming less of a commodity. Couple that with the boys at the mill getting paid quite well, the chief product they sell being tied to the price of oil, and you start to have problems.