Area Lawmakers Hear About Region's Woes ~January 2016~
T hose legislators whose constituents live and work in the Iron Range area were given an earful from those populations that they represent. The people who voiced their concerns included miners, elected officials and union representatives. On Thursday, January 7, 2016, these segments of the population had the chance to be very honest with lawmakers about the effects of the layoffs in the mines that have proliferated the area for nearly a year. About 2,000 people have received the dreaded pink slips since spring 2015. The mining lifestyle ‐‐ as well as the area's reliance on it ‐‐ runs deep on the Iron Range. Miners see no other viable solutions other than getting the mines back up and running as soon as possible. Stating that he'd rather pull "on his workboots than put on a suit," a miner shared a sentiment that is echoed by many of his fellow comrades within the industry. He appeared on Thursday before area legislators who were weighing the possibility of a special session to discuss providing help for the beleaguered iron workers in the area. The layoffs are also continuing well into 2016 with Magnetation slated to shut down a plant later in January. The company joins the ranks of Minntac, United Taconite, North Shore Mining, Mesabi Nugget, Keetac and Mining Resources in shuttering area mines. The devastating one‐two punch of China's limping economy and a slew of imported steel hitting the United States market have combined to trigger a dramatic downward shift in the amount of taconite that has been demanded of the area.
With the average salary of an Iron Range miner hovering around $90,000 a year, the layoffs have a ripple effect on other local businesses. As the miners' discretionary income shrinks, so do their visits to local eateries, shops and other places of business, reducing their revenue as well.