Three busloads of laid off steelworkers from the shutdown ArcelorMittal steel mill in Hennepin will be joined by leaders of the United Steelworkers and Governor Mr Patrick Quinn at Chicago's Federal Building with a message: 'Run it or sell it.'

Despite a USD 48 million profit in 2008, the Hennepin steel mill has been idle since December 2008, laying off 300 steelworkers in a county now with the state's highest jobless rate at 14.1%.

Mr Jim Robinson USW director District 7 said that Illinois taxpayers gave USD 10 million in tax breaks to ArcelorMittal in 2005 to get the company to locate offices in Chicago. He added that "Now they are closing a viable operation and are preparing to ship vital equipment to France and Brazil. Instead they should sell the mill to viable bidders who will keep good paying jobs here in America."

Mr Fred Redmond VP of USW international said that "We need steel made in America to rebuild our infrastructure and manufacturing base. Let's make steel here, not import it and create jobs elsewhere."

(Sourced from www.usw.org)