MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A Morgantown-area United Steel Workers chapter is fighting for the Mylan Pharmaceuticals facility in Morgantown will close this year, affecting 1,500 workers.
Leaders with Local 8-957 argue closing the plant is a national security concern as the facility is one of the few sites in the United States making oral medication.
“Stop it, or try to bring somebody else in there that’s willing to produce so we can keep these good jobs,” roving steward JD Wilson told MetroNews affiliate WAJR-AM. “Also, keep our pharmaceuticals from going overseas where they’re shipping them back in.”
The closure, set for June, is the byproduct of a merger between Mylan and Pfizer Inc. subsidiary Upjohn, in which the company Viatris emerged.
According to Wilson, 850 affected jobs are union positions.
“You’re going to lose shops there, you’re going to lose banks there, and you’re going to lose money that helps schools for our children,” he said of the local impact. “It’s not just those 850 jobs; it’s their spouses and kids and the entire community.”
Wilson and other union leaders have contacted federal lawmakers about the importance of the facility.
“Legislative is just part of it,” he added. “Another part is to make sure if it does close down, people get a fair severance out of it or some kind of package when leaving. We want to make sure that they’re educated if they leave there.”