I don’t know which story is the right story, but the original column didn’t blame the steel mills, it blamed the unions.
That makes sense to anyone who knows anything about unions.
Yes, you are correct. And the unions are certainly to blame (along with the environazis) for the demise of the steel mills (and refineries) in places like Gary and Cleveland.
However, other cities have been able to reinvent themselves, at least somewhat, because they tried to do so. Gary wallowed in its own misery for decades, as though burned out buildings were a badge of honor.
I think it's clear that Gary would be a lot closer to a first-world city today, if they had put the ruins of the 60's riots behind them decades ago, and tried to move forward.