Our look at the history of the Empire and Tilden mines in the Upper Peninsula comes at a time of tremendous uncertainty and turmoil in an industry that has an almost seamless tie with mining: the manufacturing of steel.

"Stand up for Iron Ore," and "Stand up for Steel" are the names of two groups comprised of unions and their parent companies, who are protesting the "dumping" of below-market-cost foreign steel on American markets. The cheap foreign steel is made in nations where government-backed industries don't have to show a profit. And when they sell their products on U.S. soil, they undermine legitimate U.S. companies that can't possibly sell their steel at a profit - and still pay workers a decent wage.

"This should concern all Americans, and the building trades especially have a major interest in what's going on in the steel industry," said Mike Prusi, a former Upper Peninsula state representative who now coordinates the "Stand up for Iron Ore" campaign. "Not only is there a lot of work at the mines in the U.P., but the building trades in Southeast Michigan get thousands of hours of work building and renovating Great Lakes Steel and Rouge Steel."

Good union jobs in the Upper Peninsula have already been hit by the steel crisis, with the Empire and Tilden Mines both facing six-week shutdowns and the laying off of 1,800 workers due to a glut of steel on the market. In the building trades, 30-40 operating engineers who are employed by the mines will also be idled by the shutdowns.

"This is a devastating problem," said Don Ryan, district manager, public affairs for the Cliffs Mining Service Co. "The fact that our mines are shutting down is directly related to our government allowing foreign companies to sell steel here in the United States at a price that's less than what it costs to manufacture."

Over the last few years, 20 U.S. steel manufacturers have gone belly up because they couldn't compete with foreign steel. Most of the cheap steel comes from Eastern nations like China, Korea and Japan, who, because of the worldwide economic slump outside of the U.S., wouldn't have any market at all if it weren't for the U.S.

So far, the Bush Administration has expressed concern about the steel dumping, but they have not pledged any action. The Stand Up groups are seeking higher tariffs on the cheap steel or a limit on the amount that can be imported. Opposing any limits are the auto manufacturers, utilities and other major steel users, and Bush has been getting pressure to do nothing from the international front.

"The issue of steel dumping is a disaster for the U.S. economy in general, and for U.S. construction workers, too," said Michigan Building Trades Council Upper Peninsula Business Rep. Jack LaSalle. "It all comes down to the question of whether we should maintain a steel industry in this country. Does our general economy need the steel industry and the jobs it provides? Do we need our own steel production for national defense? Or are we going to allow our steel industry to go away in favor of some short-sighted policy that will make a quick profit?"

A "Stand Up for Steel" rally will take place Saturday, June 2 at 10 a.m. at United Steel Workers Local 1289, 11424 W. Jefferson in River Rouge. Park at Great Lakes Steel, and shuttles will transport you to the march site. Speakers will talk about steel's plight.