Senator Amy Klobuchar met with United Taconite steelworkers on Thursday morning. Their mine and plant are being idled this month, and more than 400 people are being laid off.

Klobuchar convened the meeting at the Local 6860 Hall in Eveleth to discuss the state of Minnesota's steel industry and efforts to move forward.

In an interview afterwards over the phone, the senator said the CEO of Cliffs Natural Resources has pledged to her and to the union that he will bring back the workers at the end of the year. She said she speaks with Lourenco Goncalves monthly.

"On a level playing field, I know that Minnesota's steel workers can compete with anybody in the world," Klobuchar said. "Illegal dumping destabilizes our domestic industry, and I'll continue to confront these unfair trade practices and will do everything I can to support impacted workers on the Range."

Klobuchar has long led in the fight to support American steel. She has pushed to protect American manufacturers from illegal trade practices and to preserve American jobs. She and other Minnesota leaders met with top Administration officials at the White House this spring to urge the Administration to take immediate action to stop mining and steel industry job losses stemming from the unfair dumping of foreign steel.

She also joined the leaders to urge the Administration to demonstrate its commitment to American workers by publicly announcing concrete actions to confront foreign dumping and keep American steel jobs. This spring, she worked to include provisions in the Trade Preferences Extension Act, which was signed into law in June, that make it easier for American companies to demonstrate harm as a result of dumping and to prevent foreign companies from dragging out anti-dumping investigations.