STEELTON, PA − June 30, 2025 − Today, State Senator Patty Kim, Representative Dave Madsen, members of the Dauphin County state legislative delegation, and United Steel Workers Local 1688 hosted federal, state, and local officials, business leaders, and community members to voice unified, bipartisan support for workers displaced by the idling of Cleveland-Cliffs Steelton plant. In addition, the coalition called on Cliffs to come to the table as a willing partner and find solutions that “Keep the Steel in Steelton.”
“Today is the first day of the “idle”, but it is not the last day of our fight,” said State Senator Patty Kim. “For the last month, since the day Cleveland-Cliffs’ made their surprise announcement, we have been at work engaging federal, state, county and local officials to come together and meet the moment. We stand united in exhausting every avenue and resource available to secure a future for the steel mill and its employees.”
“Our message today is simple,” said Representative Dave Madsen. “My federal, state, and local colleagues from both sides of the aisle have been working hard over the last month-and-a-half to support workers and position the site to continue operating. Cleveland-Cliffs needs to do the same, come to the table as a willing partner and find a path forward.”
“I am devastated that more than 500 of our neighbors are losing their jobs,” said Representative Justin Fleming. “We are providing every angle of support we can identify during our one-on-one assistance events, but I wish we could do much more. Events like this are an unfortunate reminder of our need to maintain a strong safety net by funding programs that provide food, maintain housing, ensure medical care, and assist with other essentials during hard times.”
Steelworkers, through United Steelworkers Local 1688, have developed proposals to cut costs and improve efficiency, profitability and overall production at the mill. At the same time, federal and state offices have offered to discuss ways to keep the site operational should Cleveland-Cliffs choose to engage. “We need to sit around a table with Cliff’s and give serious consideration to strategies that keep the site operating. But, they need to be willing to come to that table,” said Senator Kim.
In addition, Representatives Fleming, Madsen, Davidson, and Mehaffie as well as Senator Kim’s offices are holding one-on-one assistance events to connect workers with available state resources. The series of events occur from 9AM to 4PM on June 30th, July 1st, 2nd, and 7th at IW Abel Hall in Steelton.
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