Governor Walz to sign bill providing unemployment benefits for mine workers

ST. PAUL, MN. (Northern News Now) - On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz will sign into law a bill extending unemployment benefits to mine workers.

The bill, authored by Rep. Dave Lislegard of Aurora, offers an additional 26 weeks of benefits for more than 400 workers who were laid off due to the idling of Cliffs’ facilities in Silver Bay and Babbitt.

Governor Walz will be joined by Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Sen. Grant Hauschild, Lake County Commissioner Rick Groutermont, and Silver Bay Mayor Wade LeBlanc.

Rep. Lislegard worked closely with Hermantown Sen. Grant Hauschild, who was the Senate author, to advance the legislation.

Cleveland Cliffs announced in May the operations at Northshore Mining’s mine in Babbitt and the pellet plant in Silver Bay would temporarily shut down.

Then last July, they announced Northshore will remain idle through at least this April.

Many workers exhausted their regular benefits in November because of this.

The benefit extension in the bill will be offered retroactively to August 14.