MARQUETTE, MI-- The Empire Mine will close at the end of 2016.
That’s the word from Cliffs Natural Resources CEO LourencoGoncalves, who spoke at a State of the Company meeting Wednesday at Marquette’s Holiday Inn. WLUC-TV says the closure will affect 400 employees, some of whom may go to other mines in Minnesota.
Goncalves said Cliffs will start to wind down operations at the Empire and workers will get warning notices in the next couple of months.
He notes the Tilden Mine will continue operations, as several decades’ worth of high-quality ore remains at the site.
During the meeting several members of the United Steelworkers Union, which still hasn’t reached a contract agreement with Cliffs, protested higher health care premiums for retirees.
