ST. PAUL – U. S. Steel announced today it will be idling Keewatin Taconite. The facility employs 412 people. Representative Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) released the following statement today regarding the announcement:
“This is difficult news for so many of my friends and neighbors whose families earn a living at Keewatin Taconite. Over the last few years, foreign countries have flooded the world’s steel markets with cheap steel, undercutting the American steel industry which in turn has threatened mining on the Iron Range. I am in contact with the president of USW Local 2660 at KeeTac and will be available on the Range tomorrow and over the weekend to meet with workers who have questions. I will do everything I can to ensure these workers are connected with the Dislocated Worker Program at the Department of Employment and Economic Development and have access to unemployment benefits.
“Unfortunately, this situation is not an unfamiliar experience for the Iron Range. We will get through this by working together to get Keewatin Taconite back up and running and taking care of the workers in the meantime.”
Workers seeking unemployment benefits can apply online at www.uimn.org.