St. Paul, Minn. (June 28, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans released the following statement after PolyMet Mining Corp. announced that the Swiss mining firm Glencore AG had increased its ownership stake in the company, based on preliminary results of a rights offering, raising its ownership from 29 percent to roughly 72 percent:

“Jobs for Minnesotans welcomes this sizable, financial vote of confidence in the amazing potential of the PolyMet NorthMet copper-nickel mine near Hoyt Lakes in northeastern Minnesota. The NorthMet Project will be a nearly $1 billion construction project and will employ 360 workers with well-paying and family-sustaining jobs in the region when operational.

“These long-term jobs for skilled tradespeople will be brought to a region with a more than 130-year heritage of responsible mining while also protecting the environment. The NorthMet Project will generate an estimated $515 million annually to cultivate a more diverse and thriving regional and statewide economy, and, create access to essential metals to power the green economy and our modern world.”

About Jobs for Minnesotans
Jobs for Minnesotans, a coalition representing business, labor and communities, supports statewide opportunities for prosperity and middle-class jobs from sustainable natural resource development in Minnesota. The organization is committed to the principle that our state can preserve both job opportunities and the environment for future generations. Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council representing 55,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 companies and 500,000 employees. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org, follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find the coalition on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.

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Media Contact: Nancy Norr, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978