The effort to save 1,000 jobs at the U.S. Steel Plant in Granite City is not something Illinois legislators are taking lightly.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth said she doesn't think that they'll be able to stop Suncoke from buying the steel plant. But she wants to focus on other ways to bring jobs to the area.
"We're going to continue to do everything we can to keep the steel jobs there, but we have to diversify and bring other jobs into the region as well," Duckworth said.
One plan Duckworth is hoping will come through: She's trying to woo the South Korean firm LG Corporation to set up production in the area.
Duckworth says she recently went to South Korea to meet with LG. She says the idea is appealing to the electronics manufacturer because they want to be in the Midwest with access to the Mississippi River.
Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson said he's also fighting the buyout, but he and Senator Duckworth are discussing what will happen if the Suncoke deal does go through.
"I'm certainly a mayor that's looking to transitioning an older steel town into a newer economic boom, so I welcome all new business," he said. "We will continue to fight the steel mill decision, until that battle is won or lost."
If the deal goes through, Parkinson and Duckworth hope to have U.S. Steel clean up the plant, and then they'll look into getting other jobs into town.
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