PITTSBURGH, Pa. – United Steelworkers Local 8-957 members are calling on lawmakers in Washington to save the Morgantown pharmaceutical manufacturing facility now operated by Viatris.
Viatris announced December 10 the facility would close as part of the merger between Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Upjohn. Union officials say 850 union workers will lose their jobs when the plant closes July 31, 2021.
“Closing this facility will be devastating not only to the hard-working men and women who remain committed to making this company successful, but to our entire community,” said Joseph G. Gouzd, president of USW Local 8-957. “But even more than this, the plan to shutter this facility is a matter of national security that imperils our entire nation.
“As the pandemic made painfully clear, America must be able to supply its own needs. Our facility is one of the last remaining manufacturing sites of generic pharmaceuticals in this country. We cannot allow ourselves to become dependent on foreign supply chains for such a critical good.”
Union members met with more than a dozen members of the U.S. House and Senate over March 10 and 11.
Union representative J. D. Wilson will be a guest on WAJR’s Talk of the Town at 9:30 Monday morning.