I gave you my word when I made a commitment to the community to monitor this situation and aid in any way possible, and I will continue to stay involved on behalf of the community, workers, and families. I know this is an issue incredibly important to the hard-working families in Ashland and the surrounding areas, as well as Kentucky as a whole. Although this situation is still evolving, those rulings offer some good news. The latest local news, sports and community headlines are only a tap away on your smartphone and tablet 24/7 with this new app from the Ashland Daily Press. As a result of those judgments, I sent a letter to the retiring CEO of AK Steel, James Wainscott, asking that he consider preliminary rulings by the ITA finding China and other countries guilty of subsidizing steel when determining how to proceed with Ashland Works. Hal Rogers, and I asked President Obama to expedite a presidential investigation into the accusations of steel dumping before any permanent job losses occur, and use resources at his disposal to correct any market manipulation.ĭuring the time my office has been involved and aware of this situation, there have been two favorable judgments for AK Steel. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, Rep. In a bipartisan and bicameral letter, Sens. Additionally, I personally met with those leaders, including Ashland Alliance President Tim Gibbs and Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles, to discuss the pending temporary layoffs.Īs we decided, after the meeting with the Ashland delegation, I drafted two more letters to the Obama administration. My office then coordinated a meeting between civic and economic leaders from Ashland with ITA in Washington, D.C. The ITA is not planning to make a final decision until later this year. Secretary of Commerce urging the International Trade Administration (ITA) to expedite their decision-making process and make a determination before layoffs would occur around December 18 th, so the community could incorporate their response into the decisions regarding the status of layoffs. Since then, I have continued to stay engaged and in touch with all parties, requested constant updates from my Kentucky and Washington staff, and will continue to stay involved.Īfter AK Steel’s announcement, I had multiple conversations with local and industry officials, including AK Steel’s CEO and Ashland’s Mayor, and then met with Ashland community leaders in person at my Town Hall.įollowing these conversations, I sent a letter to the U.S. In November 2015, I stood before the Ashland community at a Town Hall meeting and said I would help the situation facing AK Steel’s Ashland Works plant – and I meant it. The company stated that one of the reasons for the temporary layoffs was the “onslaught of unfairly traded imports,” a situation more commonly known as “steel dumping.” On October 16, 2015, AK Steel announced the company would temporarily lay off close to 700 employees at its Ashland Works facility. However, I want you to know that I am not one of those elected officials, and I never will be. Sadly, it is common knowledge these days that elected officials tend to make empty promises.
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