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Dan Kraker
Duluth

MinnTac calling 400 back to work on Iron Range

The Minntac taconite mine looms over Virginia.
U.S. Steel's Minntac taconite mine and plant looms over Virginia, Minn., on April 10, 2015. The company plans to recall several hundred workers who had been laid off earlier this year.
Dan Kraker | MPR News file

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Laid off employees at Minnesota's largest taconite plant will be heading back to work soon.

Officials from the union representing workers at MinnTac on the Iron Range reported on their website that "over the next two weeks all employees on layoff should be recalled."

It's welcome after a series of layoffs in the region, said state Rep. Jason Metsa, DFL-Virginia. "As people get back to work it will really bring back up the overall morale up on the Range here. People will be happy to get back to work."

In early June, U.S. Steel laid off about 400 workers at MinnTac amid an industry downturn. U.S. Steel also idled its KeeTac plant earlier this year. All together around 1,000 workers on the Iron Range have been laid off.

In addition to the MinnTac layoffs, U.S. Steel has also idled its KeeTac plant in Keewatin.

Another firm, Magnetation, has filed for bankruptcy protection and shut down its oldest plant. And Mesabi Nugget closed its iron nugget operation for two years.

"All in all it's great news for up here after about three, four, five punches throughout the last six months," Metsa said of the MinnTac workers recall.