YORKVILLE, Ohio -- Esmark announced Wednesday that it expected to finalize the sale of the Yorkville plant to its company from RG Steel on Thursday. But as of noon on Thursday, the sale was still pending.

Jerry Conners, the president for United Steelworkers of America Local 1223, said even if a sale was finalized that would not automatically mean the plant would reopen.

"The local here has not signed any term sheet or given any agreement to Esmark moving forward, so I don't know where that puts us," said Conners. "I know anything that goes forward, any type of contract that goes forward needs to be ratified by our members. All I can say is from the last term sheet that we saw, I doubt very seriously that that is going to happen."

Conners said the local union representatives last met face-to-face to discuss contract terms in July. He said Esmark was asking for up to 37 percent in reductions.

"I don't know where that leaves (Esmark) if they can't get a contract," said Conners. "Does that mean they pull back out? Does that mean that Frontier comes in and takes over? I don't know, but I do know that the contract does need to be substantially increased before our guys would be interested in doing anything such as that."