FOX 21 News, KQDS-DT

DULUTH-Dozens of laid-off Georgia Pacific workers rallied at the Duluth plant on Sunday afternoon to call out Congressman Chip Cravaack (R-Minnesota) for being unsupportive.

The U.S. Representative's campaign staff said the group is being guided by Cravaack's opponent - Democrat Rick Nolan.

Demonstrators, however, said this is only about their income and lives.

"He says he's going to bring jobs in. Where are the jobs? 141 jobs left here, left the city of Duluth to never come back probably," laid-off worker Glenn Jackson said.

"After the end of this month I won't have health insurance. My wife has had cancer. It's in remission so it's fine but we're always scared it's going to come back. You know, what are we going to do if she gets sick?" Jackson said.

Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon visited the plant immediately after the company's announcement and said she was hopeful for a solution.

On Sunday she stood with workers.

"Every phone call has gone unanswered since that time," Prettner Solon said of her tries to get in touch with company officials.

"It was a very sad situation because a number of these employees have been here for 15 years, 25 years, 35 years. They've never had to look for jobs before," Prettner Solon said.

Although Cravaack has not publicly expressed support for the laborers, his re-election campaign staff said they are frustrated that these workers are blaming him.

"I don't think anyone has gotten a straight answer to what happened so I think that's very frustrating. I think that when you heard from the Lt. Governor here today she was critical of the company," advisor to the Cravaack for Congress campaign Ben Golnik said.

"You have an employee who's being used by the Nolan for congress campaign who's trying to turn this into a political issue," Golnik said.

Ralliers suspect cravaack will not criticize Georgia Pacific because of its owners: large-donor Republicans at Koch Industries.

Former University of Minnesota-Duluth economics professor Rick Lichty told workers that each job lost at the plant could result in two lost in other parts of the community.

"Exports are very important for a region because they bring money in from the outside. And then we economist deal with what we call a multiplier. It's not just the jobs that are lost here but the jobs that depend on this plant in secondary and tertiary industries," Lichty said.

"Take Action Minnesota" also said in a press release that earlier this month workers at some Georgia Pacific locations received packets warning of "consequences" if they did not vote for the candidates who are the "most market–based".