WEIRTON, W.Va. (WTRF) — After leaving many workers without a job, The Cleveland Cliffs Plant in Weirton has a breath of life that could bring back jobs to workers in the Ohio Valley.
There is a glimpse of hope for the roughly 900 workers who were laid off Saturday when the Cleveland Cliffs plant was idled.
USW 2911 President Mark Glyptis confirmed that he and Cleveland Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves have been in talks to bring the Weirton Plant back to life as a transformer manufacturer to make electrical components.
Glyptis says that the potential for revitalization is still in the very early stages and that nothing has officially been confirmed. Glyptis has been working with the CEO since the ITC made the ruling to idle the plant. He says ever since then they have been looking at various options to keep the plant functioning in some form. Glyptis says there is still a lot of work and negotiations to be done before they can take any steps forward.
”It’s a substantial investment. It’s a very large investment to transform this mill into making transformers there’s a very large amount of high tech electrical equipment that needs to be bought, installed. There’s some lead time in doing that with this equipment, but it’s a it’s a very good business to be in.”
Mark Glyptis – President, USW Local 2911
Glyptis says if the transformer manufacturer ERMCO takes over the plant it could bring 800-1,000 jobs back to Weirton. Glyptis called this a “God send”.
When word got out about the plant being reopened, Glyptis said 107 employees who worked at the Weirton plant and took jobs at other Cleveland Cliff facilities called him and asked when they could return to Weirton.
Glyptis says in talks with CEO Goncalves that Goncalves has stated that the people who worked at the Weirton plant are a great group of workers with great work ethics.
If the plant would open as a transformer manufacturer Glyptis said it would most likely keep the Cleveland Cliffs name but that could also be subject to change.
Glyptis also hopes that every single employee who lost a job will come back to the plant if it opens as a transformer manufacturer.
The Cleveland Cliffs plant officially went idle on April 20 with the union blaming an unfavorable International Trade Commission ruling.
This is a developing story, stick with 7News for updates.
