Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, owner and operator of two major mines on the Mesabi Iron Range and co-owner of a third, announced Wednesday it would slash 25 percent of its salaried workforce. The job cuts are focused on its North American operations. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The steelmaker had 21,000 employees in North America as of… Read More →
Cliffs eyes acquiring Essar plant
March 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
As snow fades from the ditches of Northern Minnesota, the Essar Steel construction site north of Nashwauk remains frozen in time. Minor movement in and out of the site is but partial salve for the idled hope of hundreds of jobs from the region’s largest new mining project in a generation. Essar has stated that it hopes… Read More →
Confusion over deal for unemployed miners
March 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment
On Friday, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill funding extended unemployment benefits for laid off Iron Range miners attached to controversial unemployment tax cuts for businesses. Though House DFLers opposed the pairing of those two issues, ultimately most Range DFLers argued for its passage so that unemployed miners without benefits could receive aid. Rep…. Read More →
Magnetation coming back, but Plant 1 in doubt
March 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Like other Iron Range mining operations, Grand Rapids-based Magnetation was battered by the collapse in iron ore pricing and domestic steel demand last year. The homegrown Northern Minnesota company declared bankruptcy and lost ownership interest to a hedge fund amid financial restructuring. In 2014, Magnetation had four plants running, salvaging old mining waste from decades earlier and extracting… Read More →
Obama OKs more enforcement to block steel dumping
February 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Late last week, President Obama approved new measures to better enforce trade protections against illegal steel imports. The efforts would provide more funding to investigate allegations of steel dumping, or selling steel for less than it costs to make. The move comes amid some relief in steel pricing on the world market, a factor that… Read More →
Nashwauk mayor Ben DeNucci enters 6A race
February 4, 2016 by 1 Comment
Nashwauk Mayor Ben DeNucci announced his candidacy for the DFL nomination for House of Representatives in District 6A on the central Iron Range. DeNucci is the owner of DeNucci’s Saloon in downtown Nashwauk and Keewatin Auto Repair in nearby Keewatin, where he also works. DeNucci made his announcement in a Crystal Dey story in the Hibbing Daily Tribune…. Read More →
Lost special session only one of Range’s problems
February 3, 2016 by 3 Comments
Laid-off Iron Range miners will have to wait until the late start of the legislative session this March to see if the legislature will act to extend their unemployment benefits. GOP House Speaker Kurt Daudt announced Tuesday that his caucus would not support Gov. Mark Dayton’s call for a special session to aid miners displaced by a global… Read More →
My Christmas story in the Star Tribune
December 24, 2015 by 3 Comments
Merry Christmas, dear reader. I’m very proud to share this piece I wrote for the Star Tribune, which runs today as part of their “10,000 Takes” essay series. It’s a Christmas story, but much more than that. In fact, I’ve never written anything as personal as this piece, certainly not for a large publication. I’m a little… Read More →
The year Santa came early on the Iron Range
December 24, 2015 by 4 Comments
Every Christmas I’ve known occurred in the same place, in pretty much the same way. We spend Christmas Eve south of Eveleth with the Browns. Christmas is in Keewatin with the Johnsons. It’s been this way since before I can remember, all through childhood and long after I left home and got married. When my… Read More →
Steelworkers reach tentative deal with U.S. Steel
December 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The bargaining team for the United Steelworkers announced Saturday they had reached a tentative agreement with U.S. Steel. Though the union is not yet releasing details, the Steelworkers’ statement indicates that terms of the contract deal are better than what was being offered over the summer. From the statement: As you know, our industry is… Read More →
