MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The birth of Viatris is the result of the merger of Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Upjohn. Now, members of the United Steel Workers Union are preparing for the oral solid dose plant closure in Morgantown that will put about 850 workers out of a job.
The leadership of Local 8-957 says closing the facility would be a national security concern. Roving steward, J.D. Wilson came to talk of the Town to explain the reasoning and provide an update.
“Mylan, now Viatris is one of the very few major manufacturers left in the United States,” Wilson said,” Everything else has went off shore.”
Locally, he says the loss of the 850 union jobs and up to 300 non-union jobs will devastate the Morgantown community and surrounding areas.
“You’re going to lose shops there, you’re going to lose banks there, you’re going to lose money that helps schools for our children,” Wilson said,” It’s not just those 850 jobs, it’s their spouses and kids- the entire community and not just Morgantown, Mon, Marion and Harrison Counties then across the state line in Pennsylvania.”
The plant is scheduled to close on July 31, 2021 and Wilson hopes another pharmaceutical company will purchase the facility and save the jobs.
” Stop it, or try to bring somebody else in there that’s willing to produce so we can keep these good jobs,” Wilson said,” And also keep our pharmaceuticals from going overseas where they’re shipping them back in.”
In addition to working with Viatris officials, Wilson says they spent two days last week making their case to lawmakers in Washington.
The Chestnut Ridge plant has been a part of the Morgantown community since it’s opening in 1965 as part of Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
“Legislative is just part of it, another part is to make sure if it does close down, people get a fair severance out of it or some kind of package when leaving,” Wilson said,” We want to make sure that they’re educated if they leave there.”
As time runs out to find a solution, economic experts like John Deskins concur with Wilson that the closure could have far reaching effects on the economy and home values.
Wilson wants the search for a buyer to continue until the absolute end.
“I mean it’s reasonable anytime, for us it’s about saving jobs and saving our community,” Wilson said,” I think it’s something that’s reasonable discussion anytime you can have it, so if there’s an interest out there we want it, we want the business here.”