After nearly a year of being laid off, many local steelworkers packed into a public forum to learn more about where the industry is going.

More than 100 people attended the meeting at Eastern Gateway Community College Friday afternoon. There, they learned, the road may be longer to bring all local plants back online.

Even though Severstal officials said they weren't coming to the forum, the company's president and general manager of government relations was there before the forum started.

Wilbur Winland said Severstal is committed to the Valley, but that didn't seem to calm steelworkers' concerns.

"Why don’t they look at who's been out of work the longest? Why don't they put us back to work and give us a fair chance," one steelworker said.

People out of work simply want one thing: their jobs back.

"I'm at that stage in my life where I can see the finish line but I don't know how to get there. I'm 60 years old. I'm too old to retrain and go into a new career," said Jim McLean, a steelworker.

After 38 years making steel, McLean and his colleagues said they are looking for answers. Will the plants with the most employees -- Steubenville and Mingo Junction -- restart? The short answer from lawmakers is not anytime soon.

State Rep. John Domenick, a Democrat from Smithfield, Ohio, said, "I think that's what they were telling me. That, no, nothing is going to happen in (2010) unless market conditions change dramatically."

Both Domenick and Ohio Sen. Jason Wilson said they're trying to work with Severstal to bring local plants back to production, but they're facing challenges like foreign trade.

Lawmakers and union leaders said they are tossing around ideas to spark a restart by working with the Environmental Protection Agency on permits and enforcement; working with utilities to cut power costs; and asking Severstal to trim business at its other plants to put more local people back to work.

Currently, it's not clear if any option will work, which left many unemployed steelworkers feeling frustrated. Workers said they want definite answers about the plants' future straight from Severstal.

Winland told NEWS9 before the forum, "I think we've been very upfront and honest with everybody that we're going to bring the plants on as we have the marketplace and the steel requirements we need."

When asked if there would be a chance for workers to purchase the plants, Winland said he had no comment.

Severstal has requested contract negotiation and union officials will head to Pittsburgh next week to start that process.

Stay with NEWS9 and WTOV9.com for continuing coverage.

Previous Stories: January 29, 2010: Public Meeting To Focus On Severstal's Future In Valley December 15, 2009: Organization Looks To Retrain Laid Off Steelworkers December 4, 2009: Work To Resume At Another Severstal Steel Plant December 2, 2009: Dozens Of Laid-Off Severstal Workers Return To Work Wednesday November 19, 2009: Severstal's Cold Rolling Mill In Yorkville To Resume Operations October 27, 2009: Severstal To Restart Operations In Yorkville October 27, 2009: Meetings To Discuss Idled Severstal Plant October 25, 2009: Restart Of Severstal’s Yorkville Plant To Be Discussed October 22, 2009: Lawmakers: Severstal Steel Plants Should Be Used Or Sold September 29, 2009: Laid-off Steelworkers Get Help September 2, 2009: Mingo's Severstal Plant May Stay Idle For Rest Of Year August 6, 2009: Severstal Denies Reports Valley Plants Are Up For Sale August 5, 2009: Trade Journal Web Site Reports Buyer 'Apparently Interested' In Severstal Wheeling July 27, 2009: 40 Severstal Employees Called Back To Work July 23, 2009: Severstal Appoints New CEO July 16, 2009: Martins Ferry Steelworkers Called Back To Work June 25, 2009: Severstal Workers Expected To Get Contract Extension June 11, 2009: Martins Ferry Severstal Plant Idles June 11, 2009: Martins Ferry Severstal Plant Set To Idle May 22, 2009: Gov. Assures Severstal's Future In Wheeling May 22, 2009: W.Va. Governor Says Severstal Plans To Stay In Ohio Valley May 22, 2009: WEB EXTRA: 5/22/09 News Release From Sen. Rockefeller About Meeting With Severstal-Wheeling May 22, 2009: WEB EXTRA: 5/22/09 Statement From Gov. Manchin About Meeting With Severstal-Wheeling May 13, 2009: Severstal's Martins Ferry, Yorkville Plants Could Idle In June May 8, 2009: Workforce W.Va. Offers Options For Severstal Employees May 8, 2009: 1,900 Local Severstal Employees Laid Off May 1, 2009: Severstal Representative Responds To Talk About Possible Layoffs April 28, 2009: Severstal Officials Meet With Mingo Junction Mayor April 4, 2009: Biggest Blow To Local Steel Industry In More Than A Decade March 25, 2009: Severstal North America Gets New CEO March 16, 2009: Mingo Social Services May Run Short On Funding March 12, 2009: Lack Of Production At Severstal Could Hurt Schools March 9, 2009: All Operations To Idle At Severstal's Steubenville-Mingo Plants March 7, 2009: Severstal Steel Schedules Meetings With Workers