Laid-Off Steelworkers React To Failed Special Session

Gov. Dayton will not call a special session

Without a special session, many miners say they’re left digging for answers as what to do next to support their families. Some miners have been out of work for nearly a year. They said they appreciate Governor Dayton’s efforts and aren’t looking for a handout. Rather, they want to get back to doing what they do best.

Mining digs deep into the economy of Hibbing and the rest of the Iron Range. “When these places go down up here. We don’t have the ability to go down the street and get another job because mining is what it is up here, said Cliff Tobey, president of the local 2660 Steelworkers Union .

Many miners have been left without work since March 2015 and some since the most recent round of layoffs in November of that year. “People are very scared,” said Tobey.

So when Governor Dayton announced he would no longer call a special session, many workers said they face uncertainty in their communities. “It’s a shock to the gut,” said Tobey.

The miners are also left with what to do next. Tobey said, “I wish I have an answer for that.”

When mining jobs leave town, so do some of its workforce. “It’s going to put our families in a lot of hurt. It’s disgusting really,” said Tobey.

Several state legislatures have sent a letter to House Speaker Daudt pleading for action on the issue.