Mighty Earth responds to layoffs and idling of Cleveland-Cliffs Dearborn Facility
WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN — Today, Cleveland-Cliffs announced that it will temporarily idle some of its operations at its Dearborn, Michigan, steel plant and issue layoff notices to ~600 employees set to go into effect on July 15. The company has cited the move to be due to the “current reality of weak automotive production in the United States.”
Responding to the announcement, Michigan resident and Mighty Earth Senior Associate for Decarbonization Jon Haddad said:
“Instead of idling the Dearborn plant, Cleveland-Cliffs should seize this opportunity to invest in clean steel and answer the community’s call for good, sustainable jobs rather than delaying the transition yet again.
“With an aging fleet of blast furnaces, now is the time for Cleveland-Cliffs to lead by investing in low-carbon production and helping to create the steel jobs of the future.
“As someone who was born and raised in Wayne County, I have seen Cleveland-Cliffs delay action time and again, and this is yet another missed opportunity. Rather than stepping up to lead on sustainable steel, Cleveland-Cliffs has chosen to lay off 600 workers and prolong its dependence on outdated, polluting technology that continues to harm the health, environment and economy of the Dearborn community.”
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