Elected Officials Urge Cleveland Cliffs/AK Steel to Protect Worker Health and Safety During COVID-19

DEARBORN, MI – After receiving several complaints from workers at the AK Steel plant in Dearborn, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), State Representative Abdullah Hammoud (HD-15), Senator Stephanie Chang (SD-01), and Senator Sylvia Santana (SD-03) are calling on Cleveland Cliffs, the new owner of the plant, to take all necessary measures to protect the safety and health of the workers immediately.

The elected officials are aware of at least one worker at the plant who has tested positive for COVID-19. The officials have received numerous complaints from their residents. Allegations include: lack of adequate cleaning and disinfecting at the plant, ignoring social distancing guidelines by making workers sit near each other on vehicles at the site, informing potentially non-essential workers that they must continue working, and more.

The officials issue the following joint statement:

“Nothing is more important than protecting people’s health during this pandemic. We are extremely concerned about reports of inadequate health and safety measures at AK Steel plant in Dearborn. We are calling on the new parent company to immediately institute proper health and safety measures, including regular cleaning of the facility, proper social distancing, evaluating which workers should not be considered “essential” and should return home, and more. The company must develop these precautionary measures and communicate them clearly to every worker as soon as possible. Every company in Michigan needs to do its part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent this pandemic from becoming worse. Cleveland Cliffs, do the right thing, now.”

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