March 15, 2012

Manchin Applauds Latest Step for Century Retirees, Return of Hundreds of Jobs

Following retirees’ vote on health benefits, Senator Manchin congratulates everyone involved in reaching agreement that could bring hundreds of jobs back to Ravenswood

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) made the following statement tonight after Century Aluminum retirees voted to accept an agreement that would restore some of their health care benefits, paving the way for the Ravenswood plant to reopen and potentially bring back hundreds of jobs to the community. 

“As I said on the Senate floor yesterday, I am so proud to represent a state with so much resilience – where the people work together, stick together and we truly fight for every job. What happened tonight is a real story of success not only for Ravenswood, but for our entire state. We have shown the rest of the country and the world that West Virginia has the best workforce and we can compete with anyone. 

“Today, the people of Ravenswood are smiling and West Virginia is a brighter place. People have hope for the future, and they are enthusiastic. This means so much. Our people don’t ask for too much – only the opportunity to take care of themselves and their families. That is the hope that this agreement has brought. 

“I could not be more proud of all those who were involved in making this agreement possible – Ravenswood’s Mayor, Lucy Harbert; the company’s CEO and President, Mike Bless; Leo Gerard, President of the Steelworkers of America and Randy Moore, their representative; the retirees, led by Karen Gorrell; Governor Tomblin, Senator Rockefeller and everyone who worked hard to bring these jobs back and give the retirees the benefits they were promised. While the state still must approve a final package, I want to congratulate the community and everyone who came together on breathing new life into Ravenswood and our state. I hope the Century Aluminum story will continue to show people around the country what we can achieve if we are willing to come together and fight for what we believe in.” 

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