Corporate, State, Local Leaders Meet But Do Not Announce Specific Plans
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Updated: 10:18 AM Jan 12, 2009
Corporate, State, Local Leaders Meet But Do Not Announce Specific Plans
WTAP News
Saturday the corporate president, state leaders, and representatives of the International Steelworkers Union met to discuss the future of the Century Aluminum plant in Ravenswood.
Posted: 6:48 PM Jan 10, 2009
Reporter: Leslie Cebula
Email Address: leslie.cebula@wtap.com
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Governor Joe Manchin, Senator Jay Rockefellar, representatives from Senator Robert C. Byrd's office, and U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito met with the leaders of Century Aluminum, the International Steelworkers Union, Appalachian Power, and the city of Ravenswood Saturday.

Senator Jay Rockefeller said that the stakeholders have decided to do what they can to save the nearly 700 jobs but there's still a lot of meetings that need to take place before anything is final.

Specifics of a plan to keep the plant were not released Saturday.

In December Century Aluminum of West Virginia announced that it would shut down Feb. 15 if aluminum prices did not stabilize and the company could not reduce monthly costs.

Logan Kruger, the CEO and president of Century Aluminum based in Monterrey, California, said this deadline is still on the table.

"The first question is basically 'Is there going to be a future market that we are all going to be able to prosper in?' We believe there is. I believe that was universal across the board that we all believe there is an opportunity for this to be a viable plant and could be an intricate part of Century. With that being said we can't predict the timetables," said West Virgnia Governor Joe Manchin.

Governor Manchin stated it was important that the actual stakeholders came together Saturday and promised that they're going to do everything they can to make it possible for the plant to stay open.

The Governor's Office press secretary, Matt Turner, said no promises were made and a more succent working group will be meeting.

Ravenswood Mayor Lucy Harbert said the meetings would continue into the evening and that Governor Manchin was taking some leaders back with him.

Mayor Harbert also mentioned a Jan. 23 deadline was discussed during the meeting.

Mayor Harbert said there were about 40 stakeholders at the meeting at the plant. In addition to state officials, other leaders who were there were Dana Waldo, the president of Appalachian Power Company; Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers of America (USW); Billy Thompson, USW District 8 director; and Jim Chapman, vice president of West Virginia operations and plant manager at Ravenswood.


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