U.S. Steel Layoffs Hit Close to Home

Minnesota’s iron ore rich lands have provided financial means for everyone on the Iron Range since it was originated now with the economy turn over we see lay offs again. Throughout the mid seventies mining slumped because of economic hard times, and demand falls. Now we see the hard times on the Range once more.

I knew it would happen I just didn’t believe it would happen so soon and so close to home. The economy’s been bad for a long, long time. Most of the years I was even aware of an economy, it has been bad. Eventually, it had to hit the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota.
My step-dad works at Mintac or United States Steel (USS) , has since I first met him over twelve years ago. My mom was recently divorced I was eleven, she was going on a date and this time I got to with to the movies. I was so excited. Then before you knew it, he had moved in along with his two children. We melded easily for the most part. I got to go to Mintac before it was shut down the ride along’s, where you got to go in the production trucks that Craig drives. We went through to the part where the loader loads the humongous truck up with taconite, then went to the drop site. It was really cool riding around in something that’s two stories tall; it’s a shame they don’t allow that anymore.

Craig received the letter last Tuesday stating that 497 workers would be laid off, along with management crew being cut as well. This Thursday they find out more about the lay offs and possibly whom will be laid off.
History always repeats itself. The old timers remember the lay offs of the seventies. The younger generation knows the shut down of LTV. The mining industry was not impervious of the depression either; there were hard times then too. In 2004, the state produced 75% of the country’s usable iron ore.” As cited by the MN department of Employment and Economic Development. Now in 2009 it’s lay off time, potentially shutting down mintac altogether! This is going to be either the demise or the rise of the Iron Range. We can withstand or fall. With the economy the way it is I don’t hold much hope. I wish I could say differently. In some ways I guess I always knew I’d have to move away for a while to get my future, having children around here would be tough with an unstable job market. Which makes me very sad because I had such a wonderful childhood, growing up in the woods; I hope I could give that to my kids someday.

I truly pray that my step dad doesn’t get laid off; it just opens the door for more things to happen to his pension, 401k and such. Just like it happened to the men of LTV. The economy hit the Range, and it’s not looking pretty.

^ a b “Wealth of Resources”. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. http://www.deed.state.mn.us/whymn/resources.htm. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.