MORGANTOWN – State Sen. Bob Beach, D-Monongalia, put forth an idea to help keep the Morgantown Mylan plant operating as the July 31 closure date looms and its fate remains uncertain.
Beach posed the idea in a Facebook post and fleshed it out in a conversation with The Dominion Post.
Legislative interims are set for June 6-8 and Beach said it’s anticipated Gov. Jim Justice will call a special session for that time so the Legislature can appropriate the $677 million of American Rescue Plan funds sent to the state.
The Senate president, he said, has asked for a list of ideas on using the money.
Beach proposes to set aside $25 million as stimulus for another pharmaceutical company to come in and use the plant. The money could be used for retooling, tax obligations or whatever it might need, he said. “This is one of the things on my wish list.”
He’s already shared his idea with his caucus, he said, and plans to make another pitch. He also will write a letter to the governor explaining his idea.
The clock is ticking, he said, and certain regulatory issues would kick in after July 31. “I would like to see it happen sooner rather than later.”
Union negotiations with plant owner Viatris over a severance package for the United Steelworkers Local 8-957 remain stalled. And if Viatris is in discussions regarding a possible sale of the plant, nothing has yet been disclosed. That has left the plant workers waiting and wondering, as has been reported here many times.
“They are scared what the future holds for them,” Beach said.
The congressional delegation has told The Dominion Post they’re working on the issue, but haven’t shared details. State legislators have also said they’re doing what they can. Local legislators signed on to a letter to the governor May 21 and reported on here that day.
“Each and every one of us here in north-central West Virginia are struggling to find a way we can remedy the situation with the least amount of harm,” Beach said.
It’s been said about 1,500 people will lose their jobs. The Viatris WARN notice issued this week says 1,431 employees will be laid off or separated.
This may be the single largest termination of employment in West Virginia in a long time, Beach said He can’t recall one this big during his 22 years in the Legislature.
And the silence is frustrating. “We just want to have open dialog,” he said. “We’re not getting that right now.”
Viatris did not respond to a request for comment regarding the WARN notice.
USW International Vice President Fred Redmond provided a statement via email: “The issuance of a WARN notice is a legal formality that confirms Viatris’ December announcement that its management decided to shut our plant and abandon 1,500 workers in Morgantown.
“This notice doesn’t change the work the USW has been doing since then, which is doing everything we can to facilitate a sale of the plant while continuing to bargain over the effects of the decision,” he said. “Every stakeholder – whether in management, in government, or the Morgantown region – should redouble their efforts to preserve these community-sustaining jobs.”
The WARN notice indicates that Viatris intends to keep a skeleton crew at the plant through March 31, 2022. The initial July 31 separation will involve 482 non-union workers and 764 union workers – a total of 1,246 – leaving 185. Further separations are expected Aug. 31, Oct. 31, Dec. 31 and next March 31.
Local 8-957 President Joseph Gouzd said they don’t know at this point which employees Viatris plans to retain after July 31. “We have no idea who they need.” Perhaps it might be some maintenance people or technicians.
Tweet David Beard @dbeardtdp Email dbeard@dominionpost.com
