Iron Range

Senator Grant Hauschild’s Proposal to Extend UI Benefits for Northshore Miners Passes Minnesota Senate

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate passed SF 40 to extend unemployment insurance benefits for laid-off workers at Northshore Mining. The bipartisan bill was chief authored by Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL – Hermantown) and co-authored by Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL – Minneapolis), Sen. Rob Farnsworth (R – Hibbing), Sen. Justin Eichorn (R – Grand Rapids), and Sen. Jen McEwen (DFL – Duluth). Following floor debate on the legislation, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 56 yeas to 10 nays.

Tomassoni comments on first working group to address unemployed mine workers

The bipartisan Working Group on Iron Range Unemployment met for the first time Thursday afternoon. House and Senate members heard wide ranging testimony from mayors, unemployed mine workers, and labor and union leadership – all sharing the same story of hard workers who’ve depended on the mines for decades – facing the end of their unemployment. Both Iron Range legislators and testifiers spoke about the need for ‘buying time’ as national leaders work on fixing the problem of illegal steel dumping.