releases: http://nolan.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/lake-county-news-chronicle-nolan-meets-with-northshore-employees-drafts
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://nolan.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/lake-county-news-chronicle-nolan-meets-with-northshore-employees-drafts | Lake County News Chronicle: Nolan meets with Northshore employees, drafts bill | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | MN | Rick Nolan | N000127 | nolan.house.gov | legacy | Silver Bay was rocked last week with Cliffs Natural Resources' announcement it would idle its Northshore Mining operation there and in Babbitt, putting the vast majority of the 540 workers out of a job by Dec. 1 through at least the first quarter of 2016, though there is no confirmed date the plant will reopen. Some people are just glad they are among the 70 or so that will be kept on through the shutdown for maintenance and other tasks. Others are thankful they have a secondary income or lucky enough to have been able to put a little money away for a rainy day. Many are having difficult conversations with their family about cutting back on spending and managing expectations for Christmas. Managing expectations. Words no one wants to hear about their favorite football team this time of year, but utterly heartbreaking when it's a daddy talking to his little girl. Many of those that will be laid off or having hours cut back met with U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Crosby, Monday to talk about the shutdown, their concerns and fears and the state of the steel industry in the United States. Nolan said the people he met with want to know what can be done and what is being done to revive the industry. "The whole industry is reeling," Nolan said. "They are pretty discouraged. They not only see what's happening to them, but what's happening around the Iron Range and around the country." Nolan said he, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, Gov. Mark Dayton and the entire Iron Range delegation to Congress are calling for a meeting with President Barack Obama and they will ask him to invoke Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974. Section 201 allows domestic industries seriously injured or threatened with serious injury to petition the U.S. International Trade Commission for import relief. The USITC can make a recommendation, but the ultimate decision rests with the president. Nolan said George W. Bush invoked Section 201 early in his first term to help the steel industry and Ronald Reagan used it early in the 1980s for the same reason. Nolan also said he was introducing legislation that would place a five year moratorium on the import of foreign steel. The moratorium, according to Nolan, would allow the steel industry to return to 100 percent production capacity. With seven of 11 Minnesota mining operations closed or planning to close, steel production across the nation is operating at just 70 percent of capacity, yet steel imports increased by 36 percent last year. Foreign steel, Nolan said, is flooding the U.S. market and since it is subsidized by governments, it can be sold cheaper than U.S. mills can produce it. "I'm leading the charge on the moratorium and also leading the charge on meeting with the president in cooperation with Klobuchar, Franken, Gov. Dayton and the Iron Range delegation," he said. "We don't want a meeting with his trade representative or any of his cabinet officials. We've done that. We want a meeting with him. "I will continue to press for that until we get it. He's the one that has the executive authority." Nolan also said he wants to work with Klobuchar, Franken and his colleagues to defeat the Trans-Pacific Partnership supported by an "unholy alliance" of the president, Republicans and 600 of the largest multinational corporations in the world. "We're going to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to defeat it," Nolan said. Back in Lake County, schools and business owners are focusing on the short term problems and hoping the shutdown doesn't go past the first quarter. Both Lake Superior School District superintendent Bill Crandall and Rick Osbakken, owner of Agate Electric in Two Harbors, expressed optimism the plant would resume normal operations after the end of the first quarter of 2016, but the threat of an extended shutdown weighs on both their plans. "It's a trickle down effect for both businesses and schools as well," Crandall said. "We end up getting a skeleton crew as well." Osbakken said Agate has been with Northshore Mining for about six years with two or more electricians at the mine full time over the past two or three years. He said his electricians will need to be out of the mine by the end of the month, just like the plant employees. "Fortunately we're busy so we do have plenty of work," Osbakken said. "There's a little bit of labor shortage for electricians right now, but everything else we are doing is contract work. Northshore Mining was our steady, we always had guys there and it was a big part of our business." Osbakken also noted other companies, like Jamar Co. in Duluth, that will lose business because of the shutdown. "Even the vendors that supply the nuts and bolts and tools and pop, so much more than people realize there," he said. Crandall stressed the willingness of the schools to support the students affected by the job losses. He said families with income drops can apply for free or reduced lunch so the kids can eat at school and not be an income burden on their families. "We are here if there is anything we can do to support the kids and families," Crandall said. "We will definitely be there for them." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |